LETTER: Stop promoting land grabs
Resident and well-known author says political parties must stop being irresponsible and encouraging residents to land grab.
• Thabile Mange writes:
Recently, I met a group of Kagiso residents (men, women and youth) carrying tools such as spades going towards the local cemetery. I thought they were going to clean the cemetery. I was wrong.
On my way back, I saw them in an open space adjacent to a section called Chief Mogale. I slowed down the car, trying to see what they were doing there. Unfortunately, I couldn’t see what they were doing. There were also cars parked near the road.
As I drove off, something told me they were trying to grab the land, but I dismissed it. There is a stream in that open space. Therefore, it is not conducive for human settlement. But I kept wondering what they were doing there.
Later on, I heard that they were there to grab the land. It is believed they were politically encouraged to go there and build shacks. The red berets are notorious for this practice. They did the same in Pretoria a few years back.
I’m told that police wardens went there and drove those residents away. Rubber bullets were shot to disperse them. Few sustained minor injuries. So, no one erected a shack in the open space. Bravo!
After the residents had been dispersed, they gathered somewhere and burnt tyres. They also tried to barricade a certain busy road in Kagiso without success. According to my reliable source, they have threatened that no one will vote on May 29.
Now we are going to be prevented from voting because a group of residents (less than 30) has failed to grab the land. If it were a joke I would be laughing. Unfortunately, this is serious. I hope the police will be ready to deal with them, come elections day.
Political parties must stop promoting lawlessness. South Africa is not a banana republic. I hope voters will punish one political party in particular for being irresponsible and encouraging residents to grab land.
