The Fourways Review has sought urgent clarity from City of Johannesburg spokesperson Nthatisi Modingoane after Ward 93 councillor Vino Reddy raised renewed concerns about the expansion of the K60 Chilli Lane informal settlement.

On November 27, we asked Modingoane what immediate steps the city intended to take to address the reported migration of residents from Ginger Farm to the K60 site, a matter Reddy said he had been raising for more than four years.

Modingoane was also questioned why Region A citizen relationship and urban management (Crum) had not intervened, despite the councillor submitting multiple reports over the past two weeks. We further requested confirmation on whether the city will convene the multi-departmental meeting Reddy has urgently called for.

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These inquiries followed Reddy’s emails to Region A Crum manager Lesego Semakane on November 21 and November 25, which the publication had access to. The emails reveal Reddy’s ongoing frustration with what he describes as a long-standing and escalating issue: The movement of people from Ginger Farm onto the K60 Chilli Lane land, deepening the area’s status as an informal settlement.

He believes that the city’s obligation to enforce an eviction court order at Ginger Farm has created a displacement effect, in which individuals simply relocate to nearby land, creating a new hotspot for illegal land occupation. This, he said, had been repeatedly reported to Region A Crum in the past two weeks without any visible intervention.

Semakane acknowledged the seriousness of the situation, and said she would seek guidance from Crum’s executive management, as well as conduct a site inspection to assess conditions on the ground.

When Fourways Review requested clarity on when the inspection would take place, Semakane did not commit to a timeframe, instead outlining the internal process the media should follow when engaging with the city on such matters.

Reddy is calling for an urgent meeting involving Region A Crum, human settlements, and JMPD’s by-law management unit, to develop a co-ordinated strategy. He has also proposed a joint JMPD and SAPS operation to deter further expansion of the settlement.

Also read: K60 Chilli Lane informal settlement sees growth as Ginger Park settlers allegedly relocate

He said that the Sunninghill and Paulshof communities, along with local businesses, have secured funding to fence the K60 land. However, he said the community couldn’t proceed until the city cleared the land and authorised the installation. “We cannot continue to allow the flagrant abuse of land rights by illegal occupation or the transference of one problem area to another.”

He also warned that the upcoming K60 road project may trigger an additional influx, if preventative measures were not implemented promptly.

“The lack of preventative action has previously resulted in camps like these exploding to uncontrollable proportions. Failure to take any action to prevent the spreading of the problem is a testament to complicity in illegal land occupation. I know that isn’t the case, as we all want what’s best for the city and our residents.”

Modingoane had not provided answers to the publication’s questions by the time of going to press.

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