The MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development in Gauteng, Vuyiswa Ramokgopa, held a tense yet constructive meeting with residents of Lonehill on July 16 at Soil to Soul Nursery in Lonehill, as frustrations grow over the nearby Clay Oven and Ginger Park informal settlements.

Residents say they’ve been singing the same song for years in various meetings, raising concerns over crime, pollution, and plummeting property values, all of which they link to the mushrooming informal communities situated on private and state-owned land.

Read more: Clay Oven informal settlement residents wont move until Government gives them somewhere to go

The two settlements, particularly Ginger Park, have become focal points of rising anger from homeowners who allege that the situation is spiralling out of control.
During the meeting, community members detailed a range of issues, including alleged criminal activities, ongoing vandalism of traffic lights, and a worsening state of air and environmental pollution, among others.

@caxtonjoburgnorth MEC Vuyiswa Ramokgopa says she is ready to take it one step at a time with the residents of Lonehill, who are frustrated about the two major informal settlements in Fourways. #Fourways #LRA ♬ original sound – Caxton Joburg North

Deputy headmaster at St Peter’s School, Vijay Maharaj, said, “We feel that law enforcement agencies and authorities should do what is necessary. We are being reactive at the moment, instead of being proactive, as a result of work that’s not being done by the authorities.”

Ramokgopa acknowledged the growing frustration and pledged to use her position to put pressure on key government departments to act with the support of the community.

Among those she plans to engage are the Department of Home Affairs, Human Settlements, and the South African Police Service (SAPS).

@caxtonjoburgnorth Malcom Larsen from Lonehill Residents Association says there are several eviction court orders, but none have been acted upon. #LRA #Fourways ♬ original sound – Caxton Joburg North

“There’s no way we can allow this issue to go unaddressed. Every department must be held accountable. We are going to push for coordinated enforcement and proper implementation of the law.”

One of the biggest concerns raised by the community is the lack of action on existing eviction court orders. According to residents, Ginger Park has multiple eviction orders, some dating back several years, yet no meaningful enforcement has taken place.

“They have eviction court orders gathering dust, while we deal with the consequences. It is just non-enforcement of by-laws,” said Malcolm Larsen from Lonehill Residents Association. “What is the point of the legal process if it’s ignored?”

Residents also revealed that many people living in Ginger Park are allegedly paying rent to so-called ‘landlords,’ despite the settlement being illegal.

@caxtonjoburgnorth Ward 132 Councillor Annette Deppe says the two informal settlements are nothing new. In fact, she says Clay Oven started when she was a councillor of Ward 93. #Fourways #Ward132 ♬ original sound – Caxton Joburg North

It’s alleged that these landlords are profiting from an arrangement that allows hundreds of occupants to remain on the land unlawfully.

Ramokgopa said she also heard of these so-called landlords. She did not commit to specific deadlines for dealing with the issue, but reiterated her intent to push for inter-departmental collaboration and working in support of the community.

“If we are serious about wanting to resolve an issue, we have to be willing to understand the problem and its complexity, and then address it. We can talk and do the law enforcement, but we also need to learn how do we ensure that we don’t contravene any laws while at it.”

The meeting was joined by the police, Ward 93 councillor Vino Reddy, Ward 94 councillor David Foley, as well as Ward 132 councillor Annette Deppe.

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