COUNCILLOR Chris Pappas has slammed eThekwini Secure for a broadcast message sent out on various social media platforms on Sunday which he described as highly inciteful and untruthful.
The message which was sent out on Sunday by the group, called on residents to attend a meeting at 5pm in George Hill Settlement (across from Shifa Hospital) regarding land invasions taking place in the area.
The message read: “A call to all residents of KZN, don’t sit idly by, this affects us all, do not bend to provocation, show your support, come out in numbers and let your voices be heard. There are those that want us silent and those from within us who want to suppress our voices, cast off the shackles and be an active citizen.Take charge now. This is a peaceful mobilization, please conceal all firearms as per the firearms act. No dangerous weapons.”
Speaking to the Berea Mail at the meeting in George Hill, Pappas said he found the message highly inciteful.
“Not one of the members of the group, many of whom sit on our CPF executive, picked up the phone to ask what the meeting was about. To mass mobilize people on false information is very wrong.”
“The message went as far as to say keep your firearm concealed. As a councillor coming to address people on an issue that is highly sensitive, and a group sends out messages like that, is worrying.”
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“The real issue here is the lack of access to affordable housing, quality amenities and services.”
” We have a growing problem of land invasion in the city. The land issue is a huge discussion for the 2019 elections. We at local government have to deal with the consequences of land not being available,” said Pappas.
Subsequently, eThekwini Secure sent out another message calling on the community to remain calm and avoid confrontation with any land grabbers.
“We encourage the community to first liaise with the leadership of their community police forums and eThekwini Secure to report possible land invasions before it happens. Both eThekwini Secure and the CPFs are presently working closely with the deputy mayor Fawzia Peer, Metro, SAPS Land Invasion Unit and other stakeholders to address land grabs. We urge the community to not take the law into their own hands as we do not want the matter of land invasion to escalate to anything beyond what it actually is. eThekwini Secure remains in a position to act as buffer between the settled community and those who are perceived as land invaders. It is imperative too that we hear their side of maters as to why they are suddenly grabbing unoccupied municipal land,” said eThekwini Secure chairperson Imtiaz Syed.
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