Rabie Ridge residents say they won’t refrain from erecting shacks on vacant land
RABIE RIDGE – The protesters, most of whom came from neighbouring areas blocked Republic and Boshoff Roads with burning tyres and rocks, also building walls on Republic Road using bricks found on the side of the street.
Alleged land invaders blocked Republic and Boshoff roads in Rabie Ridge on 12 April after being prevented from building shacks on vacant land.
The protesters, most of whom came from neighbouring areas, blocked the roads with burning tyres, bricks and rocks.
Thabiso Mehlape, who was apart of the protest spoke to Midrand Reporter and claimed the land had been vacant for more than 40 years. He added that when they tried to settle on the land, as they were landless and had nowhere else to stay, a man apparently appeared and claimed that the land belonged to him.
“I am not working myself, I have children and a family,” Mehlape claimed. “I have to pay rent and I cannot afford to. This place [vacant land] has become a hotspot for criminal activities and has been neglected for so many years. We have found bodies of people here, people get raped here. We asked that ownership documents be produced, no paperwork has been shown to us. If this so called person says the land is his, where is an eviction letter from the court evicting us from this land?
Mahlape alleged that instead of showing them the necessary documentation, the ‘landowner’ had hired security officers to shoot at them. He claimed that the officers had fired rubber bullets, water canons and teargas at the protesters. Mahlape said they were not going to back down. “We are going to grab that land.”
The MEC for Human Settlements, Urban Planning and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Lebogang Maile condemned the failed illegal invasion of land. Maile said, “We are faced with a serious challenge of housing backlog in the province, as a result of in-migration and the province’s status of being a place of hope for job-seekers and economic opportunities.”
However, he called on the community to disengage from illegal invasion of land. He added that the Gauteng government has adopted a Rapid Land Response programme intended to give out land parcels for people to build houses for themselves. Through this programme, Gauteng government hopes it will dent significantly the number of people looking for houses.
Chief Superintendent and spokesperson for the Metro police, Wayne Minnaar said if illegal land occupation took place in Johannesburg, an operation would take place to remove any illegal structures within the confines of current legislation.
Gauteng Provincial police spokesperson Captain Kay Makhubela added that police were present to monitor the current situation but he did not provide comment on the alleged use of rubber bullets and teargas.
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