Council adopts zero tolerance on land invasions
eThekwini Municipality demolished 90 illegal shacks on a property in Cato Crest recently.
COUNCIL has adopted a zero tolerance stance on land invasion after a group of people attempted to build shacks on Municipal land in Cato Crest recently. The land has been earmarked for low-cost housing development.
The municipality’s Land Invasion Unit together with other law enforcement agencies, including Metro Police, local SAPS and public order policing worked together to stop shackdwellers from erecting their shacks on the land. This is in line with the municipality’s long standing decision that land invasion will no longer be tolerated.
In July, the municipality was granted a court order to demolish any new structures that are erected on council land which has been reserved for development. Acting in line with the court ruling, council demolished 90 illegally constructed shacks in Cato Crest at the end of last year.
The chairperson of Human Settlement and Infrastructure Committee, Councillor Nigel Gumede, said council had adopted a zero tolerance approach to land invasion and was committed to putting an end to this practice.
“In cases of new land invasions, the municipality is not obliged to prioritise the invaders for housing delivery nor will it be obliged to provide services like water, electricity and sanitation,” he said, adding that the municipality was buided by council policies and the court of law.
“For people living in existing informal settlements we will continue with delivery plans that are already in place, including the provision of interim services like water, electricity and sanitation, which are presently being rolled out to different informal settlements in eThekwini,” he said.
He urged people to be patient and not to invade land and houses that have already been allocated to beneficiaries. He warned that land invasions had an adverse impact on service delivery plans.
