Durban — Residents of Briardale in Newlands West are on edge over fears of land invasion by an ever-expanding informal settlement nearby.
Residents claim that two weeks ago people from the nearby Khulula informal settlement began clearing an open piece of land and attempted to build structures.
Concerned resident Kim Fraai said people gathered on the open municipal land in the residential area, and when residents questioned them they received no reply.
“The people were given portions of land and then began clearing it, burning some vegetation to begin building their shacks. On Friday that week, they began erecting shacks on the land.”
Concerned ratepayers reported the matter to the municipality and the land invasion unit began demolishing the structures. Residents were told to inform the unit if the problem persisted because building on municipal land without permission was illegal.
“We suspect that an induna or some of their leaders must have been involved in this land grab, but could not establish who it was. We plead with the government to build these people proper houses instead of them building shacks across our residential area. We are afraid that an informal settlement this close to our area will devalue the properties, and will bring all sorts of problems,” Fraai said.
Abahlali baseMjondolo co-ordinator, Thapelo Mohapi, said people were in desperate need of land to build on and blamed the government for failing to provide them with land for housing.
“People need to be closer to work opportunities. We advise the government to respond to this countrywide problem. People lost their jobs during the Covid-19 pandemic. They are doing all they can to survive under these trying economic times. Even those who were renting, cannot afford to.”
eThekwini ward 11 councillor, Allan Peterson, said when he received reports of people setting fire to the grass he thought it was because the bushes had become a health hazard.
“But then we saw people erecting shacks, and realised it was a land invasion,” Peterson said.
eThekwini municipality spokesperson, Lindiwe Khuzwayo, said the city was working hard to eradicate land invasions. The city could not win the war against land invasion on its own, she said.
“We depend on communities living near these open spaces to report land invasion as it happens, so we can act swiftly. Our teams are tasked with fighting land invasion within the ambit of the law. In this case, our teams are working to prevent the invasion of this land. We will continue to monitor the situation.”
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Daily News