WATCH: KZN land invaders defend rights of ‘black people and Chief Magwaza’

The ringleaders behind the illegal land grab attempts on vacant plots between Etete and Tinley Manor in May last year are thought to have orchestrated the resurgence of the activity in Sheffield this past month, said police.

Umhlali SAPS captain Vinny Pillay said the issue was more complicated than it first appeared, reports North Coast Courier.

“There are different elements to this. On one hand we have people desperate for homes closer to where they work and on the other hand, we have the same people being scammed into buying plots from people who are trying to drive an agenda.”

ALSO READ: WATCH: Drone footage of the KZN Tinley Manor land grabs

Illegal land invaders stand by as their homes are torn down around them.

Pillay said last year 17 people were arrested when more than 1,200 people travelled from as far as Eshowe, burned grass, and partitioned sections of land for themselves.

On Sunday about 80 people watched in horror as their homes, both shacks and tents, of the past year, were torn down on the KwaDukuza municipality (KDM) owned land opposite the Sheffield Manor flats, along the road to Flag Farm.

KDM media liaison officer Sipho Mkhize said people were illegally selling plots and circulating Facebook adverts for the sale of unoccupied land around KwaDukuza.

“People are being motivated to build on this land despite us warning them not to. We cannot allow the situation to get out of hand and we are forced to demolish because people cannot just take over vacant land.

“At this point, we also believe that the situation escalated after more people saw an opportunity for land and took it. “

Neither the police nor the municipality could confirm whether the recent land grab had come about through political interference.

While 11 families had been given permission to live on the property, new structures erupted over the past year with shacks now bordering on private land. This was the second time the structures had been demolished.

The shacks were turned to rubble.

IPSS Security’s Brennon Knots said they had been monitoring the situation at Sheffield since plots were being marked on land belonging to their clients.

“We have been working with the police and with KDM to keep an eye on what is going on and we also assisted with the demolition on Sunday.

“At the moment we are trying to make sure that private property land is also not completely invaded. On Sunday, one of our guards who was looking after the area was told that 200 people would be going to the land in Sheffield for a meeting that evening. He was told that if he was still there at the time, his life would be in danger.

“Building of shacks resumed shortly after we all left on Sunday afternoon.”

KDM had issued an eviction notice to the squatters two weeks ago, but they refused to leave, saying they had nowhere else to go. While many invaders claimed to have bought land from traditional leaders in Etete, others said they put up shacks out of desperation for shelter.

Illegal land invaders stand by as their homes are torn down around them.

“Rent is too much and we earn too little, we cannot support our families, pay for transport, food and rent. Most of us who have built here, work in the area and are here with our families. We have not asked for water or lights but we just need shelter,” said Sandile Dlamini who was originally from Jozini but is working in Ballito.

Speaking to KDM officers, one invader said: “If you are from the municipality then where is the KwaDukuza mayor? He must know that we are being kicked out of this place, so where must we go to now?”

KDM is currently doing a feasibility study to establish whether the land would be suitable for a formal housing project, which if passed, could take up to five years to complete.

However, one of the invaders who promised to return and rebuild questioned the municipality’s position in relation to land ownership.

He claimed the Zulus were the rightful owners of all land on the North Coast.

“Who is the municipality and who gave them this land?” he asked.

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