Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Land invasion in the name of Ramaphosa
WHILE Cyril Ramaphosa was being sworn in as the new president of the country at Tuynhuys on Thursday, “Ramaphosa Village” in Phillipi East was being built.
Ramaphosa Village is a stone’s throw away from the infamous Marikana informal settlement, which sprung up in 2015 amid a number of violent clashes with law-enforcement agencies.
The residents told Weekend Argus they chose this name for the new informal settlement because it was “symbolic of the hope”.
Sonwabile Gobingca said Ramaphosa had given “us hope that things will change in this country. We have finally managed to get rid of Zuma. We are hopeful that with Ramaphosa as president we will get houses, jobs, education and the better life for all that the ANC promised us”.
Although the land invasion began peacefully on Thursday, by yesterday there were running clashes between residents and police.
The residents vowed to “fight back if the police come back and try to move us from this land. You know what happened in Marikana and how it was built; we will fight for our homes because we have nowhere else to go. We are not fighting yet and we know it is wrong to invade land, but what are we supposed to do?” asked one resident.
By late afternoon, law-enforcement agencies had been sent to the area. There was a stand-off with the occupants. Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at occupants, who retaliated by throwing stones and burning tyres on the road.
The land occupants claim they have been “watching the vacant space for over six years”.
“After Marikana was built on that land, this space became the prime spot for crime. This is where people get robbed, raped and other crimes take place.”
Nwabisa Gambushe said she had been renting in Lower Crossroads for three years. “Landlords are now building back rooms and do not want shacks in their yards; it is R500 for a shack and R1 400 for a flat (back room) and I can not afford it,” she said.
There are three patches of land surrounding the Sonnendal dairy that make up the informal settlement.
Hundreds of backyard dwellers swooped on the vacant land on Thursday afternoon, sparking fear of vandalism at the nearby Golden Arrow Bus Service depots. The bus service was suspended on Thursday night. However, according to Golden Arrow spokeswoman, Bronwen Dyke- Dreyer, the depots had been re-opened and police were escorting buses in the area.
Police spokeswoman Noloyiso Rwexana said the crowd had thrown stones, blocked the roads and burnt tyres. Police tried to stabilise the situation. No injuries reported and no one had been arrested as yet. Police were monitoring the situation.
The city’s mayoral committee member of Informal settlements, water and waste services and energy, said illegally occupied land became a fire, flood, health and safety risk. It made it impossible for emergency and basic services to be delivered. The city did not know who owned the land
asanda.sokanyile@inl.co.za