Informal settlement next to mall – politician weighs in
Loss in property value, increase in crime, intimidation of tax-paying residents – disaster looms.
Jean Kotze, Democratic Alliance (DA) ward councillor for Ward 28 (into which Cradlestone Mall falls), has expressed his concern about the ever-expanding informal settlement next to the mall.
Kotze said it could result in the loss of property value and investment – something that Mogale City Local Municipality desperately needs. In the long term, the situation could affect the essential charm and uniqueness of the Cradle of Humankind. “First and foremost we need to understand that the property on which the Taxi House and Riverside informal settlements are located on belongs to Gauteng Province and more specifically Gautrans,” said Kotze.
“It is earmarked to accommodate the construction of the new Ruimsig Boulevard that has been in the pipeline for more than a decade. As far as I am aware, the construction of the highway is now a foregone conclusion and construction will start in the near future. The fact that the property does not belong to the Mogale City Municipality places the local authority in an untenable situation. It has no jurisdiction to prevent the illegal land occupation, to maintain law and order and to deliver services to helpless people. The impact of blatant unchecked expansion, the illegal tapping of electricity, escalating crime and intimidation of law-abiding and tax-paying residents in the area is of great concern.”
Kotze reported that Gautrans is fully aware of the deteriorating situation on the ground and needs to take full responsibility for the property. It needs to liaise with the municipality to ensure that services are provided and that the municipality is not left out of pocket.
Some of the issues Gautrans has to deal with include:
• Curbing the illegal expansion of the settlement
• Preventing raw sewage from flowing into the Muldersdrift Loop
• Managing waste removal from the settlement
• Preventing illegal electrical connections and illegal dumping
• Regularising the supply of water to the settlement.
“We cannot afford to let the current situation continue any longer,” said Kotze. “The DA will continue to put pressure on the provincial structures to take responsibility for their lack of action.”
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