City will not intervene in Msawawa
KYA SAND – About 80 per cent of residents in Msawawa Informal Settlement are undocumented according to the City.
City of Joburg can not intervene in Msawawa Informal Settlement land issue, but it can only provide basic services to the residents.
This is according to the City’s Region A director Abigail Ndlovu, who attended the meeting held at Van Acht in Kya Sand on 19 November.
This was a collective meeting that included business owners, ratepayers of Kya Sand, Three Rivers Resident’s Association (TRRA), Ward 96 Councillor Matome Mafokwane and City of Joburg.
It was aimed at finding a solution to the property ownership of land where Msawawa Informal Settlement, is located.
The City drafted a plan for the land and was expected to form a private public partnership with the business owners and rate payers in the area to resolve the problem.
“We cannot intervene in the land that does not belong to us and we will not act on pressure just to remedy the situation for now,” said Ndlovu.
She explained that the owner of the private property should take responsibility for their property.
The City would only make the proper plan for the area available during the next meeting to be held in February 2016.
The City also established that 80 per cent of residents in the settlements were illegal immigrants.
“Only 20 per cent of residents in the area have proper documents and the remaining 80 per cent are either illegal foreigners or illegal land grabbers,” Ndlovu elaborated
She concluded that after a fire destroyed shacks in most informal settlements, usually the number of people residing in the area doubled with more land grabbers taking advantage of the situation.
Councillor Mafokwane explained that the City did not commit to provide building materials to the residents as this would be perceived as encouraging illegal land grabbing.
“The city and ratepayers will work on the plan to ensure that the situation in the area in manageable,” Mafokwane explained
The Councillor explained that MEC for Human Settlement Jacob Mamabolo committed to supply material not the City.
“I will try to find out what happened to those materials as residents were promised,” concluded Mafokwane.
TRRA chairperson Charmaine Zambetti indicated that the property belongs to a deceased estate and they are prepared to work with the City to find a solution.
Details: City of Joburg 011 203 3305; Ward 96 Councillor Matome Mafokwane 084 854 4950.
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