The application was dismissed with costs on Friday (5/6), after the ruling was postponed yesterday, clearing the way for Mangaung Metro to continue with its #BoduloMothong programme. The programme aims to provide housing opportunities to vulnerable residents and qualifying beneficiaries across the municipality.

Human settlements and planning MMC Ntombi Nhlapo and Ward 13 Cllr Nombulelo Sitoe attended proceedings at the Free State High Court to hear the judgment in the Lourier Park matter brought by the DA.

The ruling vindicates the metro’s efforts to provide vulnerable residents with access to safe, habitable land and basic municipal services, said Mangaung mayoral spokesperson Themba Vryman. The ANC-led municipality could not ignore the historical context surrounding land and housing challenges in South Africa.

“For generations, African people were systematically dispossessed of land through discriminatory laws and policies, most notably the 1913 Natives Land Act, which confined the black majority to a fraction of the country’s land and laid the foundation for overcrowding, spatial exclusion, poverty, and inequality that continue to shape our communities today.”

Vryman said the democratic government had a responsibility to address those historical injustices. “The democratic project of South Africa has always been about reversing that injustice and restoring dignity to those who were deliberately excluded from land ownership, economic opportunity, and decent living conditions.”

He criticised the DA’s decision to challenge the development project in court. “It is therefore profoundly troubling that, in a matter concerning the provision of land and improved living conditions for vulnerable residents, the DA chose to position itself against efforts aimed at addressing the very consequences of that historical injustice.”

The court ruling represents more than a legal victory for the municipality. It’s “a victory for poor and working-class families”. “It is a victory for vulnerable residents who have endured years of hardship while waiting for access to land, services, and a safer living environment.”

The municipality was disappointed by the DA’s approach to the matter, Vryman said. The party elected to dedicate its energies towards frustrating these efforts rather than joining hands with government in pursuit of practical solutions for affected communities.

Sitoe also welcomed the ruling, saying it would allow the municipality to continue implementing the #BoduloMothong programme for the benefit of residents in need of housing opportunities.

“This is a victory for Mangaung. It has been a long fight for residents who continue to struggle with housing challenges. We did this for the residents of Mangaung, and we are pleased that the programme can continue to serve our communities.”

OFM News/Kekeletso Mosebetsi sm

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