Jhb South residents threaten: ‘Give us land or we’ll take it’

For the first time this week, residents in the deep south of Johannesburg woke up to a skyline unsullied by billowing smoke from burning rubber and roads uncluttered by rocks.

However, if government doesn’t hand over land in the next two weeks, an Ennerdale resident warned Gauteng human settlements MEC Paul Mashatile yesterday, the community would occupy it.

Mashatile’s meeting with Ennerdale and Finetown residents came after Minister of Human Settlements Lindiwe Sisulu and Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Des van Rooyen met with Mashatile, Tshwane mayor Solly Msimanga, Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba and other officials.

It was decided various committees would begin work immediately to resolve land and housing issues. The strong warning to Mashatile came after it emerged that the paperwork for a piece of land earmarked for development had yet to be signed off.

“Our townships are burning,” Farouk Jardine said emphatically to Mashatile after a presentation on just how far the project – for which no budget has yet been allocated – still had to go.

“And this is the response we get? We understand the issue of housing takes time. Last year I said to you, MEC, allow the people to occupy land while we look at building houses,” said a frustrated Jardine.

“You said ‘yes, we’ll look at it’. A year down the line, nothing.”

Jardine said they were giving Mashatile two weeks to identify land that people could settle on.

MEC for Human Setllements Paul Mashatile speaks at the Region G offices in Eldorado Park, Johannesburg, during a meeting with community stakeholders. This after a week of protests over housing, lack of employment and service delivery has rocked the area. 12 May 2017. Picture: Yeshiel Panchia during a meeting with community stakeholders. This after a week of protests over housing, lack of employment and service delivery has rocked the area. 12 May 2017. Picture: Yeshiel Panchia

“You can identify other land where you can build, but we want immediate occupation. If that is not going to come, we are going to organise communities … we are going to occupy land,” Jardine warned.

“If we have to do it by force, we’ll do it. You can call in the army; you can call in the police, whatever. Are you going to shoot people who don’t have houses? You’re only going to expose yourself, you’re not going to do it. “After 23 years this is what we’re getting? Because there’s pressure? You don’t know what pressure is,” scoffed Jardine.

The signs of a week-long brutal struggle remain in the carcasses of burnt tyres, shattered glass, looted stores and piles of rocks and rubbish on the sides of roads.

Government’s standard answer to a desperate community lay strewn far and wide in the form of expended teargas canisters and rubber bullet casings, fired by police walking a shifting line in the sand between protecting people and property while trying not to injure or provoke the protesters.

Eldorado Park, Finetown and Ennerdale were some of the areas in Region G affected by the riots.

Yesterday there was a massive police presence which finally brought about relative calm.

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