Pretoria - Cabinet has instructed Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale to urgently interact with the Gauteng Provincial Government to find a solution to the eviction of people from houses allegedly built illegally in Lenasia, South of Johannesburg.
More than 80 houses have reportedly been demolished in Lenasia since last week.
The Gauteng Housing Department said it had identified 113 houses in the area, which it said were illegally built on land intended for government houses. Government argues that the land was sold to the occupants illegally.
The provincial Housing and Local Government Department said this week that investigations by the department's Anti-Fraud and Corruption Unit revealed that fraudsters sold several stands ranging from R2 500 to R95 000 and issued buyers with fraudulent deeds of sale which bore the department's official logo.
Addressing reporters on Thursday, following this week's cabinet meeting, Minister for Women, Children and People with Disability Lulu Xingwana said the executive wanted all criminal elements associated with the housing scheme to be investigated.
Sexwale would also be expected to investigate whether the actions taken by authorities were correct.
"Cabinet is sympathetic to the people who have lost property during all of this. The Minister of Human Settlements has been asked to find ways of dealing with the issue and present a report to Cabinet.
"We also call on the affected individuals to work with law enforcement agencies to identify the people who sold them the land," Xingwana said. - SAnews.gov.za
