Former residents of Schubart Park emerged victorious in the Pretoria High Court on Tuesday as the seemingly battle-fatigued City of Tshwane (CoT) Municipality lawyers succumbed to their demands ahead of the scheduled arguments in court.
oplus_0
Schubart Park residents marching to Tshwane House to demand what rightfully theirs photo by Dimakatso Modipa
In November the selfsame high court had recommended that the warring parties reach an out-of-court settlement as its (the court) ruling would have devastating consequences for the litigants who would end up losing the court case.
Ali Mashimbye Chairperson of Schubart Park Residents Committee
The bone of contention between the City of Tshwane Municipality and the former residents of Schubart Park is that the former residents want the CoT to continue paying rent for them at their places of abode after evacuating them from Schubart Park.
On the other hand the CoT holds that it has spent millions of rand paying rent for the said Schubart Park residents and that this has come to be regarded as wasteful and irregular expenditure by some political parties in the Municipality’s chambers and a decision had been taken to stop paying the said rent from January 2024.
On 3 December 2025 during a mediation process, the warring parties failed to reach consensus and both of them vowed to present their cases in court.
But just before the case could be heard, the City of Tshwane Municipality lawyers announced that their client would adhere to the demands of the Schubart Park residents and no longer wished to continue with the litigation process.
“We received a call from our lawyers informing us that the CoT has agreed to reach an agreement with us based on our own initial demands and proposals,” said jubilant Schubart Park Residents Committee chairperson Ali Mashimbye in an exclusive interview with Tshwane Talks.
Their demands are as follows:
1. Serviced stands and/or land.
2.RDP houses for those earning within the City’s free housing threshold.
3.Prioritisation of former Schubart Park residents when allocating accommodation to residents of Tshwane at Schubart Park when refurbishments have been completed there.
4. An end to the intended eviction of former residents of Schubart Park from the alternative places of abode wherein they had originally been placed by the CoT itself since 2011.
5. CoT to continue paying rent to the landlords where the former Schubart Park residents are staying at the moment.
At the time of publishing this story the CoT had not submitted its response to these new developments.
Tshwane Talks readers have been able to read stories in this publication for free for over two years now. We still want our readers to access our stories for free, but we are asking those among our readers who can afford it to contribute at least R30 a month to cover some of the costs of publishing this independent, non-aligned online newspaper which gives a voice to all sectors of society irrespective of race, colour, creed, religion, or political affiliation. You may make your contribution by depositing at least R30 a month into Tshwane Talks' bank account. Details are as follows:
Bank Details
Bank: Standard Bank
Account Number: 10225548834
Account Type: Cheque Account
Maybe the same should be extended to Salvokop residents, don’t you think?
I can Imagine that while the Schubart Park’s issue started in 2011 as stated, ours dates back to 1994
It seems now that all is hanky dory because no one says anything about our situation while within our “oblivion” something is simmering under.
Much as I might seem like um speaking from a personal perspective, I know that I will be representing 90% of the people (at the least) to say that our future had been and still is hanging in the balance since for the passed 32 years on
One might seem overrated to say that our problem is similar to say the least. We have been leaving and almost “renting” on this golden plateau of opportunities and opulence filled with current and future million dollar presidential (if not government) precinct where the biggest of Head Offices are to be erected soon (around 5) for over 30 years, but yet we never get to be told what our future is, except to hold on to what the councillor tells us
Many of the activists that once roamed this place and been trying to hold truth to power have been somehow ‘extinguished’ (or the influence thereof)and replaced by politicking that drives only one narrative of sanitizing people into thinking that they’re safe to stay calm and stop being inquisitive about what is happening around them
We truly need the Schubart Park Residents Committee’s advice and backup because sometimes when one seems to raise these things it seems like one is poking a bear and seemingly one has to face the unintended consequences of doing so
Concerned as we are,for most elderly residents whom in some cases, force is used to hijack/takeover one’s home when the legitimate owner is no more, we forever are worried about our children’s future occupation while these clandestine maneuvers keep repeating themselves
In conclusion I want to emphasize that much as one seems worried, it is in everyone’s innate and core existence to fight for their territory. It only becomes a battle when those who are enthroned by law, to protect and stand for humanity and it’s rights, are the ones who perpetuate such acts with impunity
I therefore through this message am encouraging every Salvokopan to wake up and demand the real truth as to where do our future lies, not in the next decade but in three years from today!
Sitting on the coach and hoping to change the world through one’s phone,is for those who ones have been in the filed of battle, not opinions, but action!