Staff Reporter
REDCLIFF – The Redcliff Municipality has repossessed 90 residential stands that were being held for speculative purposes, with many remaining undeveloped beyond the stipulated six-year period.
Some beneficiaries paid deposits as low as US$50 but failed to develop the stands or complete payment, effectively holding onto the land without fulfilling contractual obligations.
Council public relations manager, Michael Magoronga, said the local authority resolved to repossess the stands after beneficiaries failed to honour their agreements.
“We have repossessed 90 stands located across Redcliff suburbs, including Rutendo, Englebrecht and Redcliff,” he said.
“The main reason is that some beneficiaries failed to honour their part of the agreement, particularly in terms of payment.
“Some paid amounts ranging from US$50 to US$500 but did not proceed further.”
Magoronga said council made extensive efforts to contact the beneficiaries before taking action.
“We exhausted all avenues. We wrote to them and, in some cases, tracked them down, only to establish that they were unable to pay for the stands,” he said.
“Some beneficiaries cannot even be located.
“They are effectively non-existent, yet they had paid small deposits to hold onto the stands speculatively.”
He added that following the resolution, council has since begun reallocating the stands.
“We have already advertised the stands and are selling them to prospective home seekers. “Notices have been issued to ensure that no one is prejudiced,” said Magoronga.
