Note to Editors: Please find attached English soundbite by Nico De Jager MPL.
The Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development (GDID) is creating uncertainty for approximately 1000 residents living in 64 houses, including backyard and informal dwellings in on 14th and 15th Streets in Boksburg North. For more than 20 years, residents have been repeatedly threatened with eviction due to a proposed provincial road project. Despite this long-standing claim, the GDID has failed to provide clear, written confirmation on whether the development will proceed, leaving families in limbo for decades.
There are also serious allegations of corruption. Residents report that they were previously instructed to pay for their housing, only to discover later that payments were diverted into a private bank account. This account is allegedly linked to a government official. Payments were subsequently halted, leaving residents without leases, ownership, or legal protection.
While many residents are willing to pay for housing and services, they are unable to do so due to the unresolved legal status of the houses they currently occupy. As a result, access to water and electricity remains informal, further entrenching hardship and undermining access to service delivery.
Alarmingly, there are also reports of criminal elements forcibly occupying homes, with residents allegedly being removed at gunpoint and properties being overcrowded. Allegations that law enforcement officials have failed to act or may be complicit are deeply concerning and require urgent investigation.
For over two decades, government inaction has created an inhumane living environment where families cannot plan for their future, and children are raised in instability.
The DA calls on the Gauteng Departments of Infrastructure Development and Human Settlements to urgently engage residents to provide clarity on the proposed road, investigate alleged corruption, ensure visible policing, and develop a lawful and humane solution. Should relocation be required, it must be dignified and in accordance with the law.
A DA-led Gauteng provincial government would immediately engage the Gauteng Department of Roads and Logistics and GDID regarding the proposed provincial road to be built and the exact impact it would have on residents living in Boksburg North.
Our residents cannot continue to live without rights, services, or security.