RESIDENTS in Peter Mokaba Road, Morningside, are concerned about the influx of vagrants into the dense bush behind their block of flats.
According to the supervisor at Lady Ann Lodge, Vicky Jacklin, there is dense bush at the rear of the property and Kensington, which is easily accessed via Bridgeview Road. She said residents had noticed about six months ago that vagrants had moved into the bush, which was cleared about a month ago after residents in complexes at the bottom of Bridgeview Road complained.
“Unfortunately the vagrants have now moved deeper into the bush and from our apartment we can see them coming and going from their hideout. It appears that they are now erecting some sort of shelter which is totally unacceptable. We have been reliably informed that the vagrants are whoonga addicts which exacerbates the problem even further. Last Saturday evening there was an altercation between the vagrants and a resident in Bridgeview Road when he asked them to please move on,” said Jacklin.
She said the residents in Bridgeview Road had noticed an increase in petty crime with cars being broken into on a regular basis, which she and the residents believe can be attributed to the vagrants.
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“We can see them walking in and out of the bush, and they light fires in the bush. I really do feel for them as they obviously have no where to live, but they can’t be there. They are very polite to us, but they have no where to wash or go to the toilet, which is a concern. We are worried that although there are just three or four people living in the bush now, this number can increase. W cannot allow people to turn the bush into a squatter camp, it needs to be nipped in the bud before shacks start going up,” she said.
Brian Noble, acting on behalf of the Trustees at Lady Ann Lodge, said he felt the municipality should clear and fence off the vacant land with immediate effect and arrange for the removal of the vagrants. He said an arrangement must be made with SAPS and Metro Police to regularly inspect the area to ensure this is free from vagrants or land grabbers.
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In response to these concerns, Councillor Martin Meyer said this was an ongoing problem which he had reported to Metro Police and Land Invasion Unit.
“I have engaged with the new station commander at Mayville and am busy talking to Metro Police as well. I have requested more regular patrols and a security inspection of the land. Plans for a long term solution have been dragging unfortunately. The Real Estate Department of the city has been without people in its top structures for a long time, and only recently have acting people been appointed. This means that the process has to start afresh with them. I have asked for a meeting with the new acting head of Real Estate to discuss the matter,” he said.
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