Rejuvenation of Alex back on track after heated talks

09 September 2015

 

The redevelopment of Alexandra, which came to a halt 10 years ago following a court interdict, brought by local property owners, is back on track.

 

After two days of tense and heated deliberations at the St George’s Hotel in Irene, near Pretoria, all the stakeholders on Tuesday September 8 finally agreed on a declaration of intent to clear all the obstacles standing in the way of the rejuvenation and redevelopment of one of the oldest townships in Johannesburg.

 

In 2005 several property owners obtained a court interdict stopping any infrastructure development from taking place, demanding that they be compensated for the land from which their families were forcibly removed.

 

Gauteng MEC for Human Settlements Jacob Mamabolo and two Members of the Mayoral Committee of the City of Johannesburg – Clr Dan Bovu for Housing and Clr Ros Greeff for Development Planning – could even afford a smile after what was described as a ground-breaking agreement. The parties have agreed on an out-of-court settlement that will see property owners being financially compensated for the pain their families endured as a result of removals. This will be done after evaluations by a team of conveyancers to be appointed by the City in line with government policy.

 

Though agreeing in principle with the out-of-court settlement proposed by the City during the two-day Alexandra Housing Summit, the property owners expressed the need to first consult their lawyers before signing on the dotted lines. The property owners had earlier accused the City of reneging on previous agreements, claiming it was negotiating in bad faith and was not to be trusted.

 

MEC Mamabolo said originally there were 2 500 property owners who had instituted land claims. He said with the extension of the claims deadline, a further 1 006 land claims were expected.

 

Mamabolo said the cost implications for the claims would be dealt with by the three spheres of government. But what was pleasing for him, he said, was the fact that all the stakeholders would go back to their principals to report that “we have found each other”.

 

“The stalemate is lifted and we can now start with our work to improve Alex. [Alex] will never be the same. Everybody has agreed to give the process a chance and we will have to work hard,” he said.

 

The MEC, who described the agreement as “historic”, further stressed the need to restore relations of trust among the stakeholders. He said the government would not pressurise the property owners into revoking the interdict, adding that once lifted there would be “a massive development of Alex”.

 

For the past 10 years there has been little in the township as a result of the impasse.

 

MMC Dan Bovu said the dust had now settled and that there was no more confusion as to what was to be done. “Yesterday was tough and today was even tougher. But we are moving forward," he said.

 

MMC Greeff said it took a long time to reach an agreement but “it’s a real ground-breaking agreement”. A follow-up meeting is to be held on Monday September 28.