Mamahule, Juju Valley to be formal settlements under newly-found status of Polokwane municipality

THE thorny issue of Mamahule Park and Juju Valley – the two areas in Polokwane, Limpopo, that were illegally occupied several years ago – is soon to be resolved through the formalisation of the settlements.

Executive mayor, John Mpe, told the media on Monday that discussions with land and rural development authorities, landowners and other stakeholders were at an advanced stage.

“As you know, the land dispute is what is delaying us so that we give them [residents] services and formalise the settlements. Those who own land were able to come from all over – others reside in Canada – to meet with us.

“Our discussions are at an advanced stage and the report should be with the council within this financial year so that the municipality can also engage COGHSTA and other relevant development entities to come on board.

“I must also clarify that those in Juju Valley, we are going to have to formalise that settlement without removing the residents, and where possible to get [them] title deeds,” Mpe said.

Mpe made the pronouncement during the introduction of a newly-appointed director of energy, Phuti Moloto, who together with his team is expected to attend to electricity challenges, cable thefts and others that feed into the newly-found Grade 6 status of the municipality.

He spoke of the municipality’s ambition to gain fully-fledged metropolitan status, saying Polokwane was the first municipality in the province to achieve the highest grading.

“This means we have put one leg into achieving our ambition and objective of becoming a metro,” Mpe said.

He said to become a metropolitan area was not a status, but all about socio-economic development in which people were able to get jobs, ability of the municipality to render quality services and attract investments, amongst others.