Illegal Shaka’s Head squatters square up for eviction fight
Determined settlement residents say they have nowhere else to go.
Residents of the illegal Shaka’s Head informal settlement are determined to oppose any eviction order granted by the court.
Although a Pietermaritzburg High Court date to deal with the matter must still be confirmed, the KwaDukuza municipality (KDM) expects the case to be heard next month or in October and is confident the court will order an eviction.
The residents were recently served with court papers by a sheriff, the first step taken to deal with the land invaders.
Located near Ballito’s entrance along the P445 road, the settlement was established during the Covid pandemic. Today, almost a thousand shacks occupy the land which was initially reserved for a clinic or a much-needed public high school.
Member of the Dolphin Coast Residents and Ratepayers Association (DOCRRA) and Western Areas Residents committees, Trevor Greyling, said residents of the estates surrounding the informal settlement are preparing a petition to be submitted to the KwaDukuza municipality.
The petition will outline various grievances and issues caused by the settlement’s residents, including noise disturbances.
He said issues in terms of community safety and security are continually getting worse. He said KDM human settlements officials have reached out to nearby residents to record their concerns, which will be presented in court.
One of the settlement’s committee members, Ntombekhaya Ludziya, said they will fight an eviction order.
“We moved here out of desperation. Life in the township is too expensive and many of us don’t have permanent jobs,” she said.
Ludziya pointed out that most residents used to rent in Shaka’s Head but could no longer afford it and had to find free accommodation to help them cover basic needs.
Asked if they knew the land was reserved for development, she said the community had been promised a school or clinic for years, but nothing materialised.
The municipality had suggested relocating residents to Vlakspruit at Esenembe where low-cost housing was planned, but this was dependent on approval and funding from the Department of Human Settlements.
As was the case in Taffeni in Sheffield where dwellers rejected relocation plans, the Shaka’s Head settlement residents said they will stand firm in their resolve not to move. In Taffeni, the municipality is now building houses on the land people had illegally occupied and have to include them in the project.
“We don’t mind considering a move, but only if it is somewhere near Ballito because that’s where we find work. People here walk to Ballito every day to look for jobs. Moving to Vlakspruit would make this impossible,” said Ludziya.
The settlement has been blamed for frequent power outages in the area owing to illegal electricity connections. Ludziya argued the power issues began long before the settlement was established.
“People in townships often add multiple rooms to their RDP houses, which strains the electricity supply. This problem existed before we arrived,” she said.
KwaDukuza Municipality spokesperson, Sifiso Zulu, said the issue is under consideration by the court and declined to comment further for now.
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