Somerset relocations hit snag

Patricia Edwin | Thursday April 3, 2014 12:15

 

He said one resident bought four plots with intentions to convert them to commercial use and is now refusing to move. “We have a man who purchased four plots and wanted to combine them and convert them to commercial use.

“We have now decided to obtain an order to evict him without his consent and go ahead and compensate him,” the mayor said. The second case involves a plot whose owner cannot be traced. The council intends to get an order and demolish the buildings on it to pave way for construction.

Kgalajwe said that in another problematic case, two people are at the High Court fighting over a plot in the area. “What we have been told is that one person had allegedly sold his plot, but made a u-turn when he heard that the government was taking plots and compensating residents. He somersaulted  to claim the plot though the other party had paid a deposit. Now the issue is in court,” he said. Kgalajwe said they hope that the court will expedite proceedings so that the project can go on.

The Tonota-Francistown road construction project started last year and is expected to be completed in 2015 though it is said to be about 16 percent behind schedule.

Kgalajwe said that most residents of Somerset have accepted compensation to move to their new homes in Gerald Estates and pave way for the road. 

Forty-three residents and six businesses are affected by the construction of the new road. “Most people are going to move and their compensations have already been released and their houses in Gerald Estates are now at advanced stages of construction,” Kgalajwe said.

The long-awaited Tonota-Francistown road promises to be truly one of a kind, especially when it culminates in what architects call a ‘Spaghetti Road’.