Court to remove squatters from airfield
"We are not going to allow people to simply occupy land."
Cars, buses and pedestrians zig-zag across the airfield in Modimolle where aircraft used to approach the landing strip.
Sandwiched between the R101 road from Modimolle to Mookgophong and the Phagameng Township, an informal settlement has continued to creep closer to the airstrip over the years.
Pedestrians crossing without regard for their own or pilots’ safety have become such a risk that those who regularly made use of the airstrip, relocated their hangers to Bela-Bela or elsewhere.
In recent weeks several dwellings have been built within the area and plots were staked out by squatters.
In an effort to discourage the influx of squatters, the Modimolle-Mookgophong Municipality obtained a court order on Thursday 28 September. A court date has been set for Thursday 30 November.
For several years the Nylstroom Vliegklub managed the airfield privately and was responsible for the maintenance. Die Pos reported previously that former mayor Marlene van Staden said the upgrading would cost approximately R1 million, which the municipality simply did not have. The municipality agreed to a long-term rental agreement with the club. The last of these members have however left for greener — and safer — pastures.
According to one of the members approximately 20 buses, transporting school children and cars, use the landing strip as their route to their destinations in the mornings. People gathering wood and animals grazing across the runway continuously add risk to landing aircraft.
Mayor Sechele Sebolai confirmed that the municipality took serious action and obtained a court order to evict the squatters.
“This court order will be enforced. We are not going to allow people to simply occupy land. Informal settlements that pop up like this have a negative bearing on us. The residents will need services and we already have a backlog on delivering services to existing developments,” he said. “This causes unnecessary tension between the municipality and the squatters.”
Sebolai said that his concern is that those who are staking claims for plots of land, are not homeless, but are doing so to rent it out to others. He said that several meetings are taking place this week to address the issue.
“This is common practice just before elections take place. We must deal with this.”
A similar situation arose in 2017 when squatters set up houses across the R101 road next to Extension 10 and the dumping site. Though court orders were granted, they were not enforced and hundreds of people now call this neighborhood their home. They, however, do not have access to services.
