Zikalala says expropriating these properties is a necessary step towards addressing Johannesburg’s urban decay.
“We strongly believe that these are the buildings that should be the start of expropriation. This gives meaning to the aims and objectives of the Expropriation Act. We have agreed with the provincial government, the municipality, and the president that these buildings should be identified and expropriated through the act,” he said.
While the government has committed to addressing the issue of illegal occupations, Zikalala acknowledged the challenges posed by legal frameworks.
“The law says if people have occupied a building for more than 24 hours, and the owner has not applied for eviction, we must provide an alternative. It doesn't say the government must build for them,” he said.
Zikalala said the expropriation initiative will require collaboration among various government departments and that alternative accommodations should be provided for South Africans who are relocated, while illegal foreign nationals face repatriation.
“We need a country governed by law, where departments and spheres of government collaborate in the enforcement of that law.”
**TimesLIVE**