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By Thapelo Molefe
Land Reform and Rural Development Minister Mzwanele Nyhontso has moved to halt looming home demolitions on a farm outside East London, telling more than 250 residents that their houses will not be torn down despite threats by leaders of the I-Elam Communal Property Association (CPA).
The intervention follows mounting tension at a 158-hectare property allocated to the I-Elam CPA more than two decades ago, after its representatives warned that homes built on the land would be demolished. The threats sparked fear among families who had bought plots and constructed houses, allegedly unaware that the land sales were unlawful.
Nyhontso met with CPA representatives, affected residents, and other stakeholders this week about the illegal sale and demarcation of plots on the farm.
The engagement was convened after concerns raised by the East London community.
“This is after the representatives of the I-Elam Communal Property Association (CPA) threatened to demolish the homes that have been built on the 158ha property, which was allocated to the CPA by the department more than 20 years ago,” the department stated.
The land was transferred to the I-Elam CPA in 2002 through the Land Redistribution for Agricultural Development (LRAD) programme. However, the department said it has since emerged that there have been land invasions and illegal land sales dating back to 2017, with sites allegedly sold for various amounts.
The department identified several challenges at the settlement, including the “illegal sale of land parcels, land invasions, and constitutional noncompliance by the CPA”.
There are currently about 223 households living on the property. Many residents said they believed they were legally purchasing land when they bought plots and invested their savings in building homes, said the department.
Nyhontso told the stakeholders that the department would deploy a team of officials to investigate the matter further. He also said law enforcement agencies would be brought in as part of the intervention.
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