-The DA supports the lawful relocation of the Melgisedek occupants but not the proposed relocation site.
-The Pretoria High Court has deferred the matter for further argument on Friday.
-The DA calls on the City to reconsider the proposed relocation site.
The DA in Tshwane supports the lawful relocation of the Melgisedek occupants. We cannot support the City’s proposed relocation site or how it has handled this process.
The Pretoria High Court has deferred the matter for further argument on Friday. The City has undertaken not to move the occupants pending the outcome of those proceedings and has been ordered to file its answering affidavit by Wednesday, with Lawyers for Human Rights responding by Thursday.
We will closely follow the proceedings.
Our position is straightforward: unlawful occupation of municipal land cannot continue indefinitely. The City has a responsibility to enforce the law and to ensure that public land is properly managed.
Relocation must be done properly.
The proposed relocation of the Melgisedek occupants to a site in Capital Park raises serious concerns about the site’s capacity, the provision of basic services, planning, and the impact on the surrounding community.
Residents of Capital Park and Gezina have a legitimate interest in decisions that will fundamentally affect their neighborhoods. They cannot simply be presented with a fait accompli after decisions about their communities have already been made.
Consultation is not an inconvenience to be bypassed. It is a fundamental part of responsible local government.
The City should identify an alternative site that is suitable, properly planned, and capable of providing dignified temporary accommodation, while also considering the legitimate concerns of the surrounding communities.
The answer to one informal settlement cannot be to create another one somewhere else.
We therefore support relocating the Melgisedek occupants, but call on the City to reconsider the proposed relocation site and engage meaningfully with all affected communities before proceeding.
Tshwane needs a government capable of enforcing the law without creating new problems in the process.
As per our Manifesto 2026, if elected, I will release unutilized state-owned land parcels for housing developments. DA-led municipalities will work with the national Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, provincial governments, and other public land custodians to unlock well-located land parcels for mixed-use and affordable housing development.
We need a solution that is lawful, humane, properly planned, and sustainable, and that respects both the people who need to be relocated and the communities who will receive them.