Ward 93 councillor Vino Reddy has broken his silence following the city’s high-impact operation to dismantle the Ginger Park informal settlement in Paulshof, Fourways, on July 25.

The operation was led by Executive Mayor Dada Morero, with the support of JMPD, SAPS, and the Department of Home Affairs, Reddy describing the intervention as ‘too little, too late and grossly inadequate’.

The mayor’s visit to the site came amid growing community tensions over illegal land occupations and deteriorating living conditions. But Reddy, who has long called for urgent intervention, said the event offered little more than optics and political posturing.

Read more: City cracks down on illegal informal settlements in Fourways

“Thank you for the show, but where is the action? Our residents deserve more than that; they deserve results,” said Reddy.

According to Reddy, the challenges posed by the growth of informal settlements in the area are nothing new. He said the settlements, particularly Ginger Farm and Clayoven, have been expanding for years, bringing with them issues such as overcrowding, inadequate sanitation, by-law violations, and increased crime concerns from surrounding communities.

“Despite repeated calls for decisive action, the city has responded with silence or token efforts.
“This is an illegal land invasion. The city must find alternative accommodation and start a lawful, humane relocation process.”

Reddy claimed that his multiple formal submissions, questions in council, and engagements with departments have gone largely unanswered. He also accused the mayor of not consulting or involving him in Friday’s engagement.

“The mayor failed to even consult the local ward councillor, that’s me, despite knowing I’ve been raising these issues consistently. If he’s serious, he should be working with us, not sidelining us.”

During the visit, tensions flared as frustrated residents turned their anger on Reddy, confronting him and demanding accountability.
The situation became so volatile that some residents threatened to physically attack the councillor unless he addressed their grievances. JMPD had to intervene to protect the councillor.

Sphiwe Ntuli, one of the settlers, claimed, “We want answers. He [Reddy] doesn’t perform his duties. He is never here to speak for us, but now they want to destroy our homes and act like it’s normal.”

But Reddy insists that the blame has been misdirected. “The anger displayed by the residents was incorrectly directed at me; it should have been directed at the mayor. The city, under the mayor and the Government of Local Unity, is ultimately responsible for services or the lack thereof. Their circumstances are noted by the fact that they occupy private land, and the city does not provide services on private property.”

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