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West Bank claimants say no houses built in almost 30 years

Published

Beneficiaries of the West Bank Land Restitution Project in kuGompo say some claimants have died while waiting. They blame the municipality's inaction, while land invaders on the site say they have nowhere else to go.

The project has 2,023 beneficiaries. Spokesperson Brendan Bussack, a second-generation West Banker, said most of the original claimants have died waiting. He also said Buffalo City Metro failed to properly interpret and implement the 2000 plan to deal with the land invasion.

Nkosinathi Sikobi, an executive member of the Nongqongqo Land Restitution Claim, said the municipality has failed to carry out an eviction order after the land was invaded in 2020. He also said housing officials do not understand the implementation plan and do not consult on it.

Siyabonga Gqaji, a land invader and EFF ward council candidate, rejected claims that invaders hold up the project. He said the land was unoccupied for 20 years before people invaded it out of desperation. He said the invaders turned down the metro's proposal to move them to a temporary site.

Buffalo City Metro did not respond to questions on the project's status. It has said the project is part of the Housing Development Agency implementation programme. A contractor was appointed in June 2023 to build internal services, and work was expected to start in mid-April 2024.

Key facts

Who
Brendan Bussack (second-generation West Banker and beneficiary spokesperson); Sam Harris (West Banker whose family was forcibly removed in the 1960s); Nkosinathi Sikobi (executive member of the Nongqongqo Land Restitution Claim); Siyabonga Gqaji (land invader and EFF ward council candidate)
What
Beneficiaries of the West Bank Land Restitution Project in kuGompo say the housing project has been delayed for almost 30 years without a single house being built, and some claimants have died waiting. They blame the municipality's inaction, while land invaders say they have nowhere else to go and the metro has not responded to questions on the project's status.
When
23 October 2026
Where
kuGompo, Buffalo City Metro, West Bank
Status
Reported

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