EFF supporters celebrate as Mashaba expropriates 37 abandoned factories

[TheChamp]

Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba announced that his municipality’s council passed a resolution on Thursday morning to expropriate 37 abandoned factories accross the city, 16 of which are in Alexandra.

The mayor sees this as part of his plan to tackle the area’s housing backlog.

“These factories will be expropriated within the legal framework of the Constitution. For this, we will utilise the fact that they are abandoned, owners untraceable and monies owing on these properties exceed their value,” Mashaba said in a statement.

EFF supporters celebrate as Mashaba expropriates 37 abandoned factories | The Citizen

The move will create up to 3,000 low-cost housing units and allow people to live 'closer to economic opportunities,' Mashaba says.

citizen.co.za

 

[Excalibur]

Expropriation is here!

 

[NarrowBandFtw]

If only the national government can codify this kind of approach in an ironclad law

this type of expropriation is a damn sight better than EFF style land grabs

 

[santaman202]

" Owners untraceable and monies owing on these properties exceed their value " Yeah right, just another attempt at making a quick buck.

 

[Beyond.Celsus]

I actually have no problem with this, if the means of expropriation are in fact true.

Abandoned - cannot find owner - money owed - turned into housing.


It's just sitting there gathering dust.
At least it can be something useful now.

 

[konfab]

Brilliant.

Step 1: Hijack factory and kick out its lawful occupants. Don't enforce the law or anything.
Step 2: Factory goes to $hit. Owners are not allowed to evict squatters because of stupid eviction laws.
Step 3: No point in owner paying for electricity, water and rates for a property they cannot use.
Step 4: City can now expropriate property without compensation.
Step 5: Screech about the failure of capitalism to create jobs whilst you expropriate factories.

 

[konfab]

I actually have no problem with this, if the means of expropriation are in fact true.

Abandoned - cannot find owner - money owed - turned into housing.


It's just sitting there gathering dust.
It least it can be something useful now.

And they do this without looking at the reasons why the owner "abandoned" it.

 

[Beyond.Celsus]

And they do this without looking at the reasons why the owner "abandoned" it.

If the owner cannot be found, it hasn't been used in years and is basically abandoned and falling apart, no rates being paid, why must it just sit there?

 

[nightjar]

Brilliant.

Step 1: Hijack factory and kick out its lawful occupants. Don't enforce the law or anything.
Step 2: Factory goes to $hit. Owners are not allowed to evict squatters because of stupid eviction laws.
Step 3: No point in owner paying for electricity, water and rates for a property they cannot use.
Step 4: City can now expropriate property without compensation.
Step 5: Screech about the failure of capitalism to create jobs whilst you expropriate factories.

Laws designed as an attack on lawful property owners with the intention of depriving them of their property.

 

[Nicodeamus]

If the owners are really untraceable then I don't see a problem with this.

 

[rietrot]

Depends on what they do with it. Clear out any sqauters. And auction it off and settle any outstanding money owed to the municipality and I'll be happy.

But the government doesn't need factories and isn't property developers.

 

[konfab]

If the owner cannot be found, it hasn't been used in years and is basically abandoned and falling apart, no rates being paid, why must it just sit there?

Just read that very carefully.

You can use that exact logic to justify why it was morally ok for white people to take the land from black people...

 

[Beyond.Celsus]

Depends on what they do with it

Low cost housing

 

[konfab]

Depends on what they do with it. Clear out any sqauters. And auction it off and settle any outstanding money owed to the municipality and I'll be happy.

But the government doesn't need factories and isn't property developers.

Bingo.

 

[konfab]

Low cost housing

In an industrial zone?

Not going to happen.

 

[Cius]

If the owner cannot be found, it hasn't been used in years and is basically abandoned and falling apart, no rates being paid, why must it just sit there?

Why did they not just attach it via sheriff of the court then and sell it? Why the need for expropriation? Its a slippery slope. Venzuela did something similar where idle land could be seized and it was massively abused as the definition of Idle is very open to interpretation. Farms where siezed because the farmers where resting the field as per international best practice if I recall correctly, crazy stuff like that. Its anti business. The land was probably abandoned as crime is so out of control in Alex that you can't build a business there without equipment being stollen all the time. The same problem makes the building worthless to sell, so what can you do but abandon it. They are making out that its the businessmen's fault when in actual fact they probably wish they could productively use it but because of government ineptitude are unable to.

This is not good news.

 

[schuits]

In an industrial zone?

Not going to happen.

Indeed. It's just quick votes.

These buildings are now going to become dilapidated or squatters are going to move in.
They don't have the infrastructure for housing, and government sure as heck isn't going to do anything about that.

 

[rietrot]

Low cost housing

Auction it off, and if low cost housing is the best option that is what the developer will built.

 

[ForceFate]

And they do this without looking at the reasons why the owner "abandoned" it.

Futile if you can't trace the owner(s). I've seen abandoned houses in good areas as well, where the yard is so overgrown I doubt owners still pay rates and taxes. I wondered if it's not crime "evicting" them but I noticed many houses in the are don't have electric fencing, high walls or burglar bars.

Maybe owners emigrated or passed away.

 

[grok]

EFF = everything for free

Even Lois Malema Vitton's lifestyle is living off the spoils of productive people's hard work.

The thing I'm taking away from this is that the government does not know who a lot of their properties belong to. Viva lack of recordkeeping Viva!