UPDATE: Land invaders stake their claim on R603 outside Amanzimtoti
Members of the community and others arriving from KwaMashu, Inanda and Ulmlazi, have set their sights on adjacent land currently planted with sugarcane.
VACANT land and sugarcane plots in Lower Lovu are being targeted by land invaders in Sugarcane Road, alongside the R603.
Since Thursday morning, 11 October and into the weekend, people identified as Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) veterans were marking off plots of land.
Illovo Sugar, which now leases the land it previously owned and sold off to the Dube Trade Port for redevelopment as an automotive supplier park, is monitoring the situation closely with assistance from the police and other authorities.
Read also: Land invaders stake their claim on R603 outside Amanzimtoti (confirmed)
While police were present over the weekend to remove the pegs and markers, the invaders returned to demarcate their plots again. The MK vets explained they will not be the only ones to benefit, as ‘the land belongs to them and the expropriation must happen quickly’.
Illovo Sugar informed their employees on the matter.
“Some of you may know that this land was sold by Illovo Sugar South Africa to Dube TradePort in 2016, and that we are now leasing it back, prior to its development by its new owners. In terms of the lease, we are responsible for keeping it clear from trespassers and land invaders. Illovo Sugar has been following the situation very closely since its inception and as the safety of our staff is paramount, promptly removed all employees from the affected section of the farm where some ‘pegging’ of plots occurred.
We have also engaged and continue to liaise with the relevant authorities, including the SAPS, Dube Tradeport Corporation, eThekwini land invasion unit, MEC for Economic Development and Tourism, the local Inkosi, eThekwini Municipality and local ward councillors, who are taking all steps available to us in terms of the law to remedy the situation.”
Councillor of adjacent ward 97, Andre Beetge said by Thursday, 11 October two excavators had already cleared a substantial portion of the land behind what was previously a SAPS reservist training facility. Activity was continuing in an eastern direction towards the sugarcane fields.
“This land was deforested and cleared under the instruction of Mkhonto we Sizwe military veterans who allegedly each contributed R500 towards the exercise. The land belongs to the KZN provincial government and not eThekwini Municipality or the House of Traditional Leaders under Inkosi Hlengwa.
Cllr Beetge said a member of Dube Tradeport security division inspected the site on Friday morning, and the ward 97 office, albeit outside the border of ward 97, facilitated a site meeting with a member of the provincial portfolio committee on safety and security, and communicated the details to members of the provincial committees of Economic Development, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) and Finance.
“We informed the deputy head of eThekwini economic development cluster tasked with catalytic projects, as a portion of the future development would entail a joint venture between the municipality, provincial government and Toyota SA.
This culminated into further liaison with Dube Tradeport management, Illovo Sugar legal division and lawyers tasked with compiling an interdict to respond to the illegal invasion on the weekend, when it became clear the portion cleared by MK veterans was only the first step towards the illegal occupation, as members of the community (and others arriving from KwaMashu, Inanda and Ulmlazi) started setting their sights on adjacent land currently planted with sugarcane,” explained Beetge.
He said the envisaged future development of the automotive supplier park will comprise of low cost housing, medium cost housing and various industrial initiatives with a specific focus on a motor industries park and support industries. It is set to create employment opportunities to the southern areas, which “in the past decade has experienced a population explosion, yet with no aligned economic development.
Everything takes time and money. While one can understand residents’ frustration with not having a place to call home, a house that was promised but never materialised or the frustration in seeking employment which never manifests, it makes no sense to illegally occupy land with no infrastructure (or budget allocation) which means no streets, electricity, sanitation and that is destined to possibly sustain industry that would serve to provide employment” he said.
The Sun’s queries to verify the situation with MK itself went unanswered. An Illovo Sugar spokesman confirmed the company is aware of and dealing with the matter.
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