Land invaders not moving anywhere!

BARBERTON – “We really mean it when we said that we are here to stay and I’m saying it again, we are still not shaken as they have failed before with their court interdict.

We are going to occupy this land until we get what we want,“said the member of the Umjindi Community Forum, Mr Vusi “Snopo“ Gwebu. It’s almost close to five months since residents went on the onslaught after waiting

many years for RDP houses and stands.

They invaded municipal land at extension 12 and developed an informal settlement as they called it Kosovo Villa. Most of them previously indicated that they registered for houses in 1994 and 1999, but had discovered that their names were not on the municipal waiting list.

Doesn’t that mean the Umjindi Local Municipality is fighting a losing battle?

Mpumalanga News learnt that the municipality obtained a court interdict

from the Pretoria High Court to remove them from the informal settlement.

After obtaining the court interdict, the municipality sent the notorious Red Ants and

police to demolish the shacks, but it seems like it was a waste of time and energy as the residents re-built their shacks.

They went further and accused the municipality of handling this matter like the apartheid regime as one of them was quoted saying: “The way our leaders operate, it’s as if we are still living under the apartheid government because we don’t have a say and they don’t communicate with us.

They do as they please, “ Mpumalanga News wanted to check what the future plans regarding the informal settlement, since the people are occupying the land illegally and this publication requested an exclusive interview with the mayor, Cllr Lazarus Mashaba, but the office of the mayor stated that this matter must be directed to the municipal manager, Mr Pat Msibi.

A media enquiry was forwarded to his secretary who also confirmed that

they received it, but at the time going to print, they was no response. Msibi was engaged in a management meeting.