uMhlathuze waiting for Public Works approval to decide on hijacked buildings
uMhlathuze Municipality says it is waiting for the green light from the Department of Public Works before deciding on the future of scores of hijacked buildings.
Plans for the more than 60 buildings were discussed at a meeting between the municipality and the department last week.
The buildings cost ratepayers an estimated R2 million a month.
Mayor Xolani Ngwezi claims that relatives of former public servants, as well as the homeless, are living in some of the buildings.
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Last month, Public Works said it had the legal right to transfer properties to other spheres of government, including uMhlathuze.
"Already, we are in the process of negotiating with Public Works for an exchange of some of the properties. They need, for instance, land where they can build a tertiary hospital, where we are doing the Empangeni Mega Housing,” says Ngwezi.
“We can't give them land there for free. So, we have said it’s fine. We must look at the option of exchanging.”
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