A property belonging to the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) in Alberton North has been illegally invaded by more than 100 dwellers. The area, known as Funny Farm informal settlement, is labelled Alberton’s crime hotspot.

Alberton Record has been reporting on Funny Farm for years. In spite of numerous questions to stakeholders, no action was taken. Now, residents are demanding a permanent solution to the problems sprouting from the GDE property.

The DA has received numerous complaints from concerned residents and businesses about allegations of criminal activities inside the property.

Various bodies, spearheaded by DA Gauteng shadow MEC for Education, Khume Ramulifho and Ward 37 councillor Ivan Naidoo, conducted an oversight inspection last week Wednesday.

This follows a recent story aired on Carte Blanche.

A court order to evict illegal occupants was issued in 2014. However, to date they have not been evicted. Many of the occupants have erected shacks and are charging a rental fee.

Member of Parliament Ramulifho said when interacting with businesses and the security cluster, they indicated that issues with the property has been ongoing with the area identified as a crime hotspot.

“We believe if the GDE takes this land back, crime will decrease drastically. When people commit a crime in Alberton, they all hide here. We want a joint relationship between the department of education, City of Ekurhuleni, human settlements and law enforcement to ensure that they enforce law and by-laws,” he said.

After engaging with a GDE official, he said he was informed that they were aware of the issue and had started some processes. However, the matter is with state attorneys.

Ramulifho said he will take the matter up with the MEC to get an idea of how long the process will take and what steps are being taken.

Naidoo said: “This is an 18-year-old issue. Since I took over, together with Willlie Basson a resident, we met with the education department and wrote to the MEC. I want to sit around the table and get all the relevant parties involved. We need to find a permanent solution.

Businesses are willing to invest in the area, but you can’t invest if cables and cars are stolen every time.”

Ins-and-outs of Funny Farm

In each of the homemade household spaces some rooms, separated by curtains only, have at least four to five occupants.

There are allegations that occupants are vandalising the electricity substations which has led to residents and businesses being without power for days.

There are also reports of criminal activities inside the property such as drug dealings, noise pollution and illegal shebeens.

In an exclusive interview, a resident who just moved to Funny Farm told the Alberton Record that allegations about the settlement were true.

“People donate stuff such as blankets and as they leave the people will sell it. The stories of babies being sold are true, which is something I’m against. At the moment there is one pregnant lady that stays here.

There is a caretaker who tries to get things in order. In some rooms you must pay rent, which is unfair because this is no one’s property, he explained.

He said the property is unhygienic as it only has one tap, which is why people keep getting sick.

Criminal elements

EMPD spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Kelebogile Thepa, confirmed there have been numerous arrests at the property.

Some of these arrests include unlawfully trading in liquor and a few unroadworthy vehicles found parked and idling on site were also removed.

They have disconnected illegal electricity connections and have attended to noise pollution complaints.

Tyrone van der Merwe of CPS Security confirmed there are several drug activities taking place in the settlement.

“We are here every week with Alberton SAPS, EMPD and law enforcement looking for suspects. The people living in this area have been involved in a lot of incidents in Alberton North and surrounding areas. Many times, we have found stolen goods and drugs here,” he said.

Just recently, he said they recovered a stolen vehicle at the settlement.

Petition

Alberton North resident Hennie Grobler said it is clear that no one is taking responsibility for the situation.

“It should have been cleaned and cleared up 15 years ago. They should relocate the people to a decent place. There is a court order for the eviction and relocation of the people, but nothing has transpired,” he said.

Grobler said the municipality promised the High Court on July 7, 2014, that the matter would be resolved.

He reiterated that since then nothing has transpired.

The National Assembly’s Portfolio Committee received a petition dated February 11, 2020, from Willie Basson, writing on behalf of Ward 37 residents.

The petition called for the national assembly to investigate the illegal occupation of Funny Farm. In response to the request, the committee called the City of Ekurhuleni to brief it on the matter on June 3, 2020.

The portfolio committee on cooperative governance and traditional affairs then made recommendations, including that the then executive mayor should initiate engagement with all the involved parties, as well as report to the committee two weeks after the date of the petition’s hearing.

It is not clear what has been done since the recommendations.

Grobler also said residents should stand together to ensure that their community is restored to the stunning city that it once was.