Illegal invaders threat for ecological system
The ecological system is being threatened by illegal rural occupation by members of the EFF and residents along the Nyl River outside Mokopane.
MOKOPANE – Marcelle Maritz Limpopo Leader of the Freedom Front Plus and Councillor of Mogalakwena Municipality, said she received a phone call from a concerned resident who wants to stay anonymous because he feared for his family’s safety.
“This person informed me of people illegally occupying land on the banks of the Nyl River next to Sekgakgapeng.
Maritz invited Bosveld to visit the area with her last Thursday where hundreds of people were queuing to get their names on a waiting list.
Maritz spoke to a man who said he was from the EFF but does not want to give his name and surname. According to him and the people at the gathering, the land do not belong to the municipality but to the people of Mokopane.
“They say they do not have land and they will soon occupy the open land next to Sekgakgapeng.”
Maritz spoke to the crowd and explained that there are procedures to be followed.
“I am not here to fight. The municipality and councillors must find a way to have peaceful discussions with the people.’
She said as a councillor of the Mogalakwena Municipality, she will listen to their requests and discuss a way forward on how the ground issue will be approached because it is a sensitive issue.
According to Maritz the land invaders do not think about the consequences.
“The area they want to occupy is close to the Nyl River, and such informal settlements also do not have municipal drainage and sewage systems in place. The result will be that sewage and waste will flow into the river and the ecological system will be threatened at the end of the day. ”
Beyers Smith, DA Member of Parliament and National Council of Provinces, visited the area last Sunday.
He said the DA is aware of the land occupation in Mokopane and that the EFF will issue further plots from 17 July to Sunday 22 July.”
Smit said the DA has delivered a written request to the Municipal Manager, Marcus Mtombeni.
The DA wants to know if Mtombeni is aware of the occupations of municipal land and whether the municipality will apply for an urgent court application to protect the municipal land.
The matter was bought to the attention of the DA and security services at national level.
Keneth Maluleka, Head of Planning and Development at the Mogalakwena Municipality, says: “We are aware of the land invasion and the municipality is in the process of stopping it and make sure that it will not happen again in the future.
redaksie.bosvelder@nmgroup.co.za
