Pretoria - Land grabs have spiralled out of control in the capital – so much so that the City of Tshwane has created a dedicated unit to deal with the problem.
And human settlements MMC Mandla Nkomo on Wednesday blamed criminal and political elements for the land invasions.
The problem has affected public and privately owned properties across the city, resulting in numerous battles during evictions in the past year.
People, with the help of councillors and politicians, simply allocate land to each other and create an informal settlement.
The Mountainview Estate administration office in Mamelodi where stands are sold for R300. Picture: Oupa Mokoena
“It is more criminal incidents than anything else. There are people who say the ANC is behind it; others blame the DA while fingers are also pointed at the EFF,” Nkomo said.
The problem was widespread, he said, and exacerbating the existing land issues in the city.
“The problem of land invasion in the city is out of control,” Nkomo told the Pretoria News.
Since the DA took over the running of the city administration last year, land grabs have taken place in Nellmapius, Ga-Rankuwa, Atteridgeville, Soshanguve, Fort West and Mamelodi East.
Mayor Solly Msimanga has previously accused ANC members of illegally recruiting people to occupy vacant municipal land.
But Nkomo said the city had established the land invasion unit within the city’s Metro Police to deal with the problem.
MMC for community safety Anniruth Kissoonduth said the unit had 140 officers dedicated to dealing with the land invasion problem.
In most cases land was sold or occupied without permission, he said. “It is not fair to be taking money from the people that way. We need to investigate who is taking money in that fashion,” the MMC said.
In Mamelodi, land was sold for as little as R300 to give rise to a new informal settlement at Mahube Valley .
The place already has 200 shacks and is managed from a red container that has been set up nearby. An “administrator” at the office said he required cash and a copy of the ID of anyone wanting land.
Some shack dwellers in Onverwacht near Cullinan have vowed to stay in the area despite threats to evict them. Picture: Thobile Mathonsi
Inside the office were files with scores of ID copies, and there were people streaming in to settle outstanding amounts.
Those who delayed occupation ran the risk of having their plots taken back and transferred to buyers on the list.
In some instances, shacks not occupied were demolished to make way for new occupants.
“The process is that before you come to buy a plot you should have first identified an empty stand in the area which you would like to occupy,” the administrator explained.
In Onverwacht near Cullinan, land grabbers vowed to stay put, and claimed to have the blessing of their councillor.
The Pretoria News saw a letter to the city written by ward councillor Ramokone Maleka. It stated: “I Ramokone Rebone Maleka as the ward councillor of ward 100 in the City of Tshwane metropolitan Municipality (hereby) confirm (knowing about) squatter dwellers of Onverwacht.”
Community leader Given Williams said residents would not back down on their demands to have more stands allocated to people.
He said the councillor was on the side of the community, but was restricted by the DA-led city administration in executing her work.
Williams said the people in Onverwacht had been overlooked but in other townships RDP houses and recreational parks had been built.
“We want our people to occupy the land. Before the elections the people were promised to be allocated stands in the area,” Williams said.
Families were forced to illegally occupy land because the land on which they had lived for years was not good for habitation, he added.
“We are fighting for basic human needs, which includes shelter over our heads. The councillor knows about the place and the fact that we were promised to be allocated stands,” he said.
Last September they illegally occupied the same land, but were soon after evicted by the Red Ants.
“In October we strategised to move some people on to the land. People had to be relocated because the place where they stay is waterlogged and not good for habitation,” he said.
Shack dweller Dikeledi Ramopu said she had to grab land because her family house was small.
She said the Red Ants security guards told her that she had occupied the land illegally.
“I was not scared that they would demolish my shack because it would not have been for the first time,” she said.
There were at least 30 shacks still standing in the area.
Maleka said: “The matter is out of my control as a councillor, hence I say it has been referred to the MMC,” she said.
Nkomo, however, denied he was handling the matter. “I told the councillor that I don’t deal with illegal invasion. It is a law enforcement issue,” he said.
He castigated Maleka for her role in the land invasion. “As a councillor, she is not supposed to work with illegal invaders.”
Nkomo said Maleka was asked to write the letter by officials to explain the situation of the people occupying the land.