Soweto Residents Demand Justice and Services in Land Ownership Dispute with Johannesburg Officials

A long-drawn battle between Soweto land purchasers and the City of Johannesburg has taken a drastic turn as the aggrieved property owners, now demand punitive measures against city officials. Following persistent unmet promises and disregarded court orders regarding the provision of basic services, these landowners are pushing for officials to face incarceration. Represented by the Centre for Applied Legal Studies (CALS) at the University of the Witwatersrand, the nine individuals involved in this case acquired their property through the City’s land regularization initiative. This program was supposed to transform thousands of residents into homeowners by offering council-owned land for purchase.

Despite owning the land legally between 2009 and 2014, the property owners have faced a persistent lack of essential services that are routinely expected, such as access to water and electricity. Further inflaming the situation, they have also faced billing for rates and taxes without the ability to inhabit or develop their properties due to the absence of infrastructural support in the Zondi area of Soweto where their stands are located.

Their battle for services and accountability began with a court application in October 2017. Two court orders were subsequently secured—in the initial round and once again in December 2021—mandating the City and its agent, the Joburg Property Company, to rectify this by installing the necessary infrastructure. However, promises have turned hollow with the City's perceived failure to abide by these orders. The residents’ frustration is evident in the affidavit presented by Pamela Duduzile Nkosi which highlights a list of correspondences addressing the City's inactions and the discomfort of pending billing without access to services.

Despite the City's assertion that progress has been made, including a supposed write-off of debts and direction for residents to apply for electricity from Eskom individually, the residents’ recent legal steps suggest a clear dissatisfaction with the pace and sincerity of these claimed advancements. Issues with the appointed bulk service provider, who was allegedly forced away by the community, also reflect the complexities and tensions surrounding this case.

This case is underpinned by fundamental concerns about governmental accountability and the enforcement of constitutional rights, as emphasized in the owners’ legal representations. The community's standoff with the City of Johannesburg is set to continue as residents seek not only the physical means to live on and utilize their land but also reparation for the years of waiting and the failure of the City to live up to its legal and moral obligations.