Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by David Mc Kay MPL, and Sesotho soundbite by Jafta Mokoena MPL with images here, here and here
The Democratic Alliance (DA) firmly stands for housing dignity as outlined by South Africa’s Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act (SPLUMA) and the constitutional right to a healthy living environment, as established in the Bill of Rights (1996).
Unfortunately, the Mangaung Metro has chosen to waste valuable resources circumventing these laws rather than effectively utilising available conditional grants for land use. Currently, they have proposed an illicit bylaw that blatantly contravenes SPLUMA, which is currently under public participation.
Recently, during an oversight session at Windmill Casino, Mangaung’s Executive Mayor, Gregory Nthatisi, chose bravado and racial rhetoric over accountability. His remarks inadvertently revealed that the Metro misled both Parliament and the public regarding the relocation of illegal occupants from ‘Mountain View’ to Farm X2727 by the end of 2025, during those oversight hearings and the several written internal question replies submitted to the Free State Legislature.
This statement not only violates a court order from March 2024 but may also breach Section 119 of the Municipal Systems Act. Nthatisi’s claim, “…Instead of taking those people away from there, I literally am taking more people there…” starkly contradicts his duty to ensure the community’s well-being.
The DA advocates for legal township establishments that adhere to SPLUMA principles, which include bringing people closer to their places of work. The municipality must install basic engineering services such as roads, water, sewage, and electricity, along with necessary assessments, before declaring an area as a township. Taking this into account, the DA will tirelessly advocate for dignified relocations for ‘Mountain View’ and 79,000 other housing applicants in Mangaung.