GALLERY: Removed invaders have nowhere to go

Land invaders, who were forcefully removed from Plot 323 on 30 August by the Red Ants, have temporarily gone back to their previous Plot 16.

The Wilgestpruit plots community leader, who is also the South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco’s) representative for housing, Gafaone Baesi said, “We are not fighting, we just don’t have homes anymore because at Plot 16, we were given a notice by the new owner and the term is about to end.”

Baesi said they first had a meeting this year with the Gauteng MMC for Housing Dan Bovu, who visited their previous Plot 16 to assess their living conditions.

“He agreed with us that the situation we live in is not healthy at Plot 16 since we don’t have water, electricity and toilets. We expected him to come back which he never did,” said Baesi.

A Sanco member added, “We also told him that we are being evicted at Plot 16. Now we don’t have a choice but to grab the land [Plot] 323 which we believe it is owned by government – the same government we were trying to negotiate with since January. The fact that Van der Walt is the owner, is new to us.”

He said they have now gone back to Plot 16 temporarily after MMC Bovu again visited on 31 August and told them to hold on until Thursday [3 September] because he needed a few days to come up with a solution.

The invader chaos started on 29 August after people refused to leave the land when the alleged land owners Anna and Andries van der Walt warned them not to erect their shacks.

“The Department of Human Settlements instructed the Red Ants to handle the situation,” said Honeydew police spokesperson Warrant Officer Karen Jacobs.

On 29 August, the Van der Walt couple, accompanied by the police, stood a few metres away and watched as the aggressive groups divided the land among themselves.

Police said they could not remove them without an eviction order.

It is understood that the owners applied for the urgent eviction and therefore the Red Ants were called to remove the squatters on 30 August.

Anna said the whole movement started in January this year with the people holding endless meetings.

“We reported to the officials early but they never took us serious,” Anna said.

She said on 29 August she was passing nearby the land when she noticed people erecting shacks at about 7am.

One invader, who refused to be named, said he stayed on Plot 16 in Wilgespruit for 22 years, but when the old owner died, his grandson took over the plot, now they are not wanted there anymore.

He said he was told the land has been sold to a new owner.

Ward 97 councillor Jaco Engelbrecht said, “A section of the land belongs to government and because that owner is not laying a complaint, the police can’t arrest anybody; it may be wrongful if it turns out they have permission to be there.

“The leader told me that she is part of Sanco. What concerns me is that the people may have been ‘sold’ plots of land to build on. Sanco has a habit of doing that.”

Engelbrecht added that if they can get testimony to that effect, somebody will have to do an affidavit to say that they paid money. ” I would be able to use that to lay a criminal charge of fraud against Sanco and also refer the matter to the SA Human Rights Commission.”

He said he was informed by residents about a planned meeting between them and MMC Bovu.

“He [MMC Bovu] has a habit of having meetings in my ward without informing me. The ANC has a general disregard for elected office bearers of other parties and in issues of housing and relocation the rate payers are never consulted,” concluded Engelbrecht.

Details: Ward 97 Jaco Engelbrecht 083 318 6514.

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