Chapter 29:15 URBAN COUNCILS ACT 147 Medical aid and funeral expenses Subject to such terms and conditions as the Local Government Board, in consultation with the Minister and the Minister responsible for finance, may fix, a council may— (a) contribute to any medical aid society, sick fund or similar institution in respect of— (i) any of its employees or former employees; or (ii) the spouses, surviving spouses or other dependants of any of its employees or former employees; (b) establish and maintain a sick fund for any persons such as are referred to in paragraph (a) or make such other provision as may be necessary to secure for such persons the benefits normally provided by a medical aid society; (c) pay the medical expenses or the expenses of the funeral of any employee of the council who suffers injury or dies as a result of an accident arising out of or in the course of his employment or as a result of illness contracted in consequence of his employment. 148 Guarantee of housing loan (1) The Local Government Board, with the approval of the Minister, may determine the terms and conditions on which a council may guarantee the repayment of any loan made to an employee or the spouse of an employee or an employee and his spouse jointly— (a) by the Local Authorities Pension Fund maintained in terms of the Local Authorities Employees (Pension Schemes) Act [Chapter 29:09]; or (b) by a building society registered in terms of the Building Societies Act [Chapter 24:02]; or (c) from the provident fund of the council; or (d) by or from any other person or fund approved by the Minister; for the purpose of purchasing land and building a dwelling thereon or of building a dwelling on land owned by such employee or his spouse or the employee and his spouse jointly or of purchasing an existing dwelling. (2) With the approval of the Minister, a council may purchase any property in respect of which it has given a guarantee referred to in subsection (1) where it considers that the circumstances are such that it is necessary to purchase that property in order to protect the interests of the council. PART X IMMOVABLE PROPERTY 149 Interpretation in Part X In this Part— “land” means land with or without improvements. 150 Acquisition of land or interest in land (1) Subject to this Act and any other law, a council may acquire land inside or outside the council area or any interest in such land for the purpose of carrying out any function of the council or exercising any power or performing any duty which is conferred or imposed on the council by law. (2) An acquisition of land or an interest in land in terms of subsection (1) may be— (a) by way or purchase, donation, lease or other agreement with the owner thereof; or (b) in the case of land, by expropriation in accordance with section one hundred and fifty-one or of any other law: Provided that where a council is empowered by any other enactment to compulsorily acquire any land or interest in land for a particular purpose specified in that law, the council shall comply with that enactment in compulsorily acquiring land or an interest in land for that purpose. (3) A council may not acquire the ownership of any land or the lease for a period of three years or more of any land which is not situated within the area of an approved town planning scheme unless the approval of the Minister has been obtained. 52