Be the soldiers, says Deputy Mayor Peer
E THE soldiers. Take the area back, it’s our land... Invaders are taking our land. Don’t let them.”
That’s the message from Deputy Mayor Fawzia Peer at the weekend to weary residents of several Chatsworth communities who have been warding off land invaders for almost a month.
Peer, who visited the township last month to hear the concerns of residents of various parts of Chatsworth, from Crossmoor to Shallcross, followed up with another trip on Easter Monday.
Addressing a crowd in Emerald Road, Moorton, one of the hot spots, Peer called her team forward, from police officers to Community Policing Forum (CPF) heads and thanked them.
“I want you to know who these men are,” she told residents. “They are your points of contact. You let them know what’s happening and they will let me know.”
She commended the residents for their efforts. “You have been proactive and you must be praised for the work you have done. You didn’t sit by quietly. You noticed trenches being dug and markings for shacks. You saw what was going on and you stood together to fight it.
“Every road needs to have its own WhatsApp group. We need to keep up the patrols,” Peer said.
“Get the youth involved. Get them to bulk up and be strong.”
While some residents applauded Peer, others were not pleased.
“This meeting is pointless,” said a woman in disgust.
Another resident, known as Rocky, said: “Everything you are telling us to do, we are already doing. We are not sleeping. We cannot be on 24/7 watch forever. It’s taking a toll. We cannot keep coming to meetings.”
This got the crowd going and they applauded loudly.
“You say patrol, you say keep watching, but we need a law in place that protects us,” Rocky said. “Instead the municipality is providing these invaders with electricity. That’s encouraging them. What about us? We must pay, but they get to stay for free? Why are there laws protecting them, but nothing protects us?”
Peer replied: “It is not my law. But as long as a shack is built up to completion, we cannot remove or evict anyone. That is the legislation.”
“So change the law,” yelled Rocky.
Peer responded: “Don’t you think we tried to change the law? We did. We failed. We lost. So now we need to do what we can do.
“And what we can do is keep alert. Keep watching. Report anything. Help wherever you can. I’m not here to promise you anything. This won’t change overnight.
“But if we can keep preventing the invaders, word will spread. They will know they cannot set up home here, because people are watching. We need a solution. Low-cost housing? Adopt a garden? Tell me your ideas.”
At the next vacant plot of land in Silversage Road, a much larger crowd waited for Peer, who told them: “Some of you are in favour of low-cost housing and some are not. Some of you want to use the land for cemeteries. Others want to adopt the land. We need you to work together, to unite and be together on the solution.”
Moorton CPF chairman Zayn Suliman told POST: “I can appreciate that she is here. I respect that she has good intentions and that there are protocols in place. But we have heard this before.”
Mobilising
Queenie Naidu, a resident, and secretary for the Moorton CPF, said: “It’s a game of cat and mouse. We chase them (squatters) away in one place and they come back somewhere else. But there are too many vacant plots and the invaders are determined. We cannot keep doing this.”
Naidu was referring to the work done by the CPFs and community patrols. They are assisted by a one-man Parks and Gardens team in Don Baijnath, as well as the SAPS, metro police and the city’s land invasion unit.
Des Moodley, another resident, said: “Parks and Gardens helped us clear the bushes, so it became easier to spot activity on vacant land. We are on shifts – everyone gets three to four hours’ sleep. We try to keep watch every night. But the invaders are mobilising too. Last night, shots were fired at those on patrol. So things are getting serious.”
ANC official Visvin Reddy, who accompanied Peer, told POST some of the vacant plots dotted around Chatsworth were owned by the municipality.
“These plots have not been maintained properly. There have been plans and talks of a Chinese mall being built, and a housing development plan. But nothing has been done for years. This has led to land invaders taking advantage. We need to start with service delivery.”
Driving to Damarosa Crescent, another invasion hot spot, Baijnath said: “I’m working every day until 12 at night. I patrol all the areas. Many plots have been targeted. So I drive around. If there are any threats or suspicious activity, we get the land invasion team to assist.
“People know me. They have my number. They call if they see anything.”
Asked what he thought would be the solution, he said: “We can’t keep preventing land invasion. Build some houses for them. Either we build them houses or they build shacks. We have to choose.”
Imraan Khan, Moorton CPF executive committee member, claimed ward councillors came only when they needed publicity.
“They are not present for meetings. They don’t know what is going on and they don’t follow through.”
DA Chatsworth ward councillor Sharon Naidoo, who was not at Monday’s meeting, denied this.
“Let me assure you that I have been attending to this matter almost every single day since March 20,” she told POST.
“I engaged local councillors, the Parks and Recreation department and the land invasion unit. I helped residents clear bushes and set up patrol groups.”
This was “all for show,” said resident Anisha Chetty when asked if the local councillors were doing enough.
“They are not here when you need them. This is land owned by the municipality. Why are they doing nothing to protect or maintain it?
“We wouldn’t have this problem if they did their jobs.”