The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) welcomes the settlement reached between Kleinfontein Share Block and the Tshwane Metro, which has just been confirmed by the High Court in Pretoria and made an order of court. These developments mark the end of a to-and-fro legal battle in the courts between the community and the Metro after yet another ruling was made against Kleinfontein two years ago regarding the fact that the process of formalising Kleinfontein into a town had not yet been properly …
Community
Lessons from South Africa on how parks and community gardens can help cities adapt to climate change
Climate change is affecting cities more and more. This creates major challenges, but it also gives fast-growing cities, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, the chance to adapt to global warming in new and better ways. Cities rely on roads, pipes and flood barriers to work well when a climate disaster strikes. This is physical infrastructure. But they also rely heavily on social infrastructure. This is the public spaces, relationships, and community networks that help people connect, organise and …
Tshwane Residents Increasingly Targeted
The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) in the Tshwane Metro is increasingly receiving complaints from residents facing unfair fines and alleged intimidation. Numerous homeowners are hit with fines of up to R75 000 for allegedly tampering with prepaid electricity meters. In many cases, residents claim that these fines are unfounded and legally questionable. According to information provided to the Freedom Front Plus, there is a disturbing pattern: When residents report power problems, technicians …
Groenkloof Petition Against Cable Theft
The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) met with community leaders in Groenkloof yesterday and assisted them in drafting an urgent petition to the Tshwane Metro. This follows two weeks of constant power outages in the area as a result of cable theft. The petition focuses on the area along the UNISA fence near the Fountains Circle, where cables are frequently stolen. The steep hill is overgrown with tall grass, weeds and bushes that provide sufficient cover for criminals. Despite several requests, the …
Special Tribunal Freezes Two Properties Bought With Lottery Funds
Funds from a R13-million National Lotteries Commission grant for an agricultural project were used to buy homes for directors of non-profit organisations. Funds from a R13-million National Lotteries Commission (NLC) grant for an agricultural project to benefit 1,900 unemployed people were used to buy homes for directors of non-profit organisations. The Special Investigating Unit has now issued a preservation order freezing two of these properties. The funds paid to non-profit Malusi WeSizwe …
Plans to Develop Sokhulumi Region Easier Said Than Done
The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) warned the Tshwane Metro that the proposed development of the Sokhulumi region near Bronkhorstspruit, as outlined in its Integrated Development Plan (IDP), cannot proceed without the provision of adequate infrastructure and service delivery. The expansion of agriculture, job creation, and the provision of proper housing and community amenities such as sports facilities could have a positive impact – provided it is implemented with discipline, aligned to fiscal …
City of Tshwane Must Comply With 2019 Court Order
The ongoing water crisis affecting the Rooiwal area will be driven to a head now that the Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) has stepped in. The party has undertaken to provide legal assistance to Mr Theuns Vogel, a local farmer, in order to compel the City of Tshwane to comply with a 2019 court order. The lawsuit revolves around the Metro’s continued failure to comply with the 2019 court order instructing it to urgently upgrade the Rooiwal Waste Water Treatment Works, stop dumping untreated sewage …
We Will Assist Rooiwal Farmers With Legal Action
The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) plans to assist Rooiwal farmers with instituting legal action against the Tshwane Metro Council for the ongoing collapse of the Rooiwal Waste Water Treatment Works and the Metro’s blatant disregard for existing court orders. This step follows a claim by the Mayor, Dr Nasiphi Moya, during her State of the City Address that there is “no water crisis” – a statement that directly contradicts the reality in Rooiwal. While the Mayor denies any crises, sewage pollution …
The Ancient Tribe Without a Piece of Land They Can Call Their Own
For more than three decades, Dorah Begwa has been on a mission – trying to restore land that once belonged to the Begwa community. But the task may be more than what a single activist, without access to expensive lawyers and substantial funds, can achieve. For many, she represents the last hope for a people who have occupied the land for over a thousand years. Dorah fights on behalf of a clan that is part of the Vhangona people, who have lived in the northern part of the country for over a …
ANC’s Remarks Just a Transparent Attempt to Divert Attention Away From the Actual Corruption Crisis in Tshwane
The recent remarks by the ANC’s Greater Tshwane Region regarding corruption occurring in the Tshwane Metropolitan Police Department (TMPD) under the previous administration, of which the Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) was part, are nothing more than a transparent attempt to divert attention away from the actual corruption crisis in the Tshwane Metro. While the Madlanga Commission is currently hearing evidence of tender manipulation, the ANC’s Regional Secretary, George Matjila, is attempting to …