Councillor slams inaction as crisis deepens in Plastic City

Following days of fear and unrest after recent violent incidents, tension in Plastic City flared once again over the weekend when a fire tore through the informal settlement.

The blaze destroyed numerous shacks, displacing families and reducing their belongings to ashes, leaving many residents with nothing but the clothes on their backs.

While the exact cause of the fire is yet to be confirmed, initial reports suggest it may have been arson. Brakpan police have not yet issued an official statement regarding the latest incident.

The fire comes in the wake of a violent attack on September 3, when an armed group stormed the settlement in the early morning hours.

As previously reported by the Brakpan Herald, the assailants, alleged to be Basotho nationals, emerged from the Weltevreden Landfill Site, opened fire indiscriminately, and set several shacks alight.

Frightened men, women, and children were forced to flee their homes. This marked the second outbreak of violence in just a few days. On August 30, a shooting in the settlement left two people dead.

Ward 97 councillor Brandon Pretorius told the Herald that Plastic City has become the illegal hub of the ward, and that the violent turf wars linked to illegal mining place residents in surrounding suburbs, especially Anzac, in daily danger, with minimal action being taken.

“Since my election as ward councillor for Ward 97 in Brakpan in 2016, I have consistently fought for the removal of the illegal settlement known as Plastic City,” he said.

“I have used the DA’s representation in Parliament to get an audit done of the residents who live there and to put pressure on Ekurhuleni.

“Questions in Parliament confirmed that this settlement consists mainly of undocumented foreign nationals and therefore requires the urgent intervention of SAPS and immigration authorities.

“For years I’ve taken up the continuous cries for help from the community, but the authorities responsible remain reactive instead of proactive in solving this problem.”

He stated the collapse of Main Reef Road due to Plastic City shows the extent of the damage caused to critical roads in the community.

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“Yet both the previous ANC executive mayor of Ekurhuleni and the current ANC mayor have failed to act decisively,” he said.

“As the Democratic Alliance in Ekurhuleni, we call for immediate intervention from both provincial and national authorities.”

He added that while they wait, they demand that SAPS, in collaboration with the EMPD, conduct daily operations, not monthly “token raids”, to:
• Eradicate illegal mining operations
• Ensure no illegal structures are re-erected
• Remove all remaining illegal structures

“The failure of law enforcement to act decisively will inevitably push frustrated communities to take matters into their own hands, a situation we must avoid at all costs,” Pretorius continued.

“The taxpayers and residents of Brakpan are tired. We demand safety, accountability, and decisive action from national government on this matter now to re-establish the rule of law in our community.”

Comment is awaited from the City of Ekurhuleni and the EMPD.

Animal welfare
The destruction not only affected people but also the animals that lived in the settlement. Many pets have been left without shelter, and are now forced to fend for themselves.

The fire has separated them from their owners or familiar surroundings. According to a statement issued by the Brakpan SPCA Management Committee, the local society has been closely monitoring the situation.

“The volatile environment, characterised by gunfire and arson, has made it extremely dangerous for both residents and our teams to enter,” the statement reads.

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“From previous experiences and the direct advice of local security and the SAPS, we have been asked to wait before entering to ensure the safety of our staff and volunteers.

“The area of Plastic City is massive, believed to be covering 493,800m², with a recent fire affecting approximately 21,000m².

“This scale of destruction and the sheer size of the settlement present a significant challenge. Our plan is not to simply check on a few areas, but to cover the entire occupied territory, which will require far more resources than the Brakpan SPCA alone can offer in terms of staff, feed, and water.

“We are working diligently to develop a comprehensive plan to get more boots on the ground and provide assistance to as many animals as possible.

“It is important to note that the Brakpan SPCA has been responding to all calls regarding Plastic City and its animals for years.

“This area has always been treated as any and all other informal settlements, receiving the same level of care and attention our resources can offer.

“Our team has been in and out of the area since the unrest began, continuously assessing the situation. Our work in Plastic City and similar informal settlements is not new. A past report from September 2022 detailed a multi-disciplinary operation where the SPCA participated alongside the CPF, Public Order Police, Home Affairs, SAPS, EMPD and other SPCA societies.

“During these operations, our team was able to rescue over 100 animals. This historical and ongoing commitment underscores our dedication to the animals of Plastic City, despite the inherent dangers.

“We appeal to the public for their understanding and support as we prepare for a major intervention. Requiring planning and ensuring we enter with the correct tools and hands to tackle the massive task ahead.

“The safety of our team is paramount, but our commitment to the animals of Plastic City remains unwavering. We will continue to work on a plan to provide a full-scale response to this crisis.”

Sunny’s Pet Outreach Team (SPOT), a local animal welfare NPC, is also assisting the settlement’s animals.

They conducted a preliminary search of the affected area and while no injured animals were found, a few displaced dogs were located nearby.

Food and water were placed out for them, and it was later observed that the dogs had returned to eat.
Additional food and water were provided.

During a more comprehensive search, no injured or visibly suffering animals were found. Food and water were offered to several dogs that remained at their homes. Nineteen abandoned dogs were safely removed from the area.

These were two adult females, two adult males, and 15 puppies left behind when their families were forced to flee. All of these dogs have since been surrendered into the care of the SPCA.