Community members desperate for homes invade land near Klipfontein View
MIDRAND – Land invaders arrived in buses and other modes of transport blocking Allandale Road.
About 3 000 people invaded land near Klipfontein View, blocking Allandale Road on 4 February.
The people, who are apparently from Tembisa, Ivory Park, Alexandra and Klipfontein, invaded the piece of land belonging to Zendai Property Development. The land is earmarked for development.
land invaders at the scene.
Motorists were warned to use alternative routes as the land invaders arrived in buses and other modes of transport, causing congestion on the road.
Ward 32 councillor Bongani Nkomo said a committee had been set up comprising some of the participants of the land invasion. “I don’t know who they are yet but I will be meeting with them,” he said.
Metro police were called to the scene after the chief executive of Waterfall Management, Willie Vos contacted Ward 132 councillor Annette Deppe and informed her about the invaders.
“Right opposite the invaded land is the Waterfall View Estate, our low-income housing structure,” said Vos.
“Our residents called me and complained that the invaders were blocking the entrance to the estate and that’s when I called the councillor for assistance.”
Deppe said, “This issue is a common thread throughout the City that the mayor [Herman Mashaba] is trying to deal with. It is not clear yet who is behind the invasion, whether it is politically driven or it’s just someone trying to make money out of people.”
When Midrand Reporter visited the area on 6 February, the invaders were gathered on the land. Some were holding shovels but none of them wanted to speak to the media.
The spokesperson for Metro police, Wayne Minnaar confirmed that their officers had gone to monitor the situation. “We are still waiting for the interdict to start the process of removing them,” said Minnaar.
Zendai Property Development applied to the Gauteng High Court on 5 February for an interdict against the land invaders. A representative of the company, who wished to identify himself only as PW Kruger, confirmed that an interdict had been granted. “We are aware of the land invasion and have already obtained a court interdict which we have handed over to authorities to act,” he said,
Director for Region E, Liziwe Ntshinga-Makoro said the City has been inundated with land invasions.
“When a court interdict is obtained, a copy is provided to Metro police who then remove people from the property,” said Ntshinga-Makoro.
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