The City of Tshwane has confiscated a car parking lot from a bogus owner who had illegally declared it as his own property and was making money from motorists parking their cars there.
On Wednesday MMC for Corporate and Shared Services Kholofelo Morodi officially and formally handed the car parking lot to the Mamelodi Local and Long Distance Taxi Association (MALLDTA) which will use it as a holding bay for its taxis.
The City’s action is in line with its “Reclaim Our City Programme” whereby the Municipality confiscates land and property that rightfully belongs to it from illegal occupants and bogus owners.
The Municipality’s Bad Buildings Mayoral Sub-Committee, of which Morodi is the chairperson, has been tasked with the responsibility to redress the issue of hijacked Municipal land and property.
It has emerged that the bogus owner, who refused to speak to Tshwane Talks, has since been evicted from the parking lot which he has been using illegally to make a quick buck for a period of close to 20 years now without paying tax and municipal rates.
On Wednesday morning City of Tshwane workers were already cleaning the said parking lot so that it would be ready for use by MALLDTA.
MMC for Corporate and Shared Services Kholofelo Morodi told Tshwane Talks that the City of Tshwane will open a criminal case against the bogus owner and also investigate as to how he gained possession of the parking lot, and also investigate if there was any corruption on the side of the City of Tshwane Municipality that gave ownership of the parking lot to the bogus owner.
MMC for Environment and Agriculture Management Obakeng Ramabodu revealed that stolen City of Tshwane waste bins were found in the said parking area and that the City will come up with a plan to use tags so as to track the stolen waste bins and recover them all over the City.
He expressed satisfaction about the fact that the parking lot will now be used by MALLDTA who will keep it safe and clean.
MALLDTA Chairperson Stemmer Monageng expressed appreciation regarding the car parking lot that was donated to his taxi association.
“We are going to use it as a holding bay for all taxis operating at various ranks in Tshwane and since the parking lot is a little bit out of the Pretoria CBD, it shall also be used to load commuters travelling from town to Mamelodi,” said Monageng.
“What is important is to keep the holding bay clean at all times as it is the Municipality’s objective to keep the City clean,” he said.
He said small businesses will benefit from the parking lot which will be renovated as they will be provided with space to sell their food and items next to the gate of the area.
Monageng said the shades that are at the parking lot are old and will be replaced, and that the area will also be paved so that it will be conducive for their businesses as it will turn into a clean environment especially for those buying and selling food.
“We have been waiting for the opportunity to renovate the parking lot into a holding bay for a long time now, and we appreciate the fact that the City of Tshwane has approached us to say we can work together and going forward we will help the City of Tshwane in its efforts to clean the City and deal with issues of hijacked land and properties,” said a jubilant Monageng.