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By Sifiso Mathebula

Journalist


Land invasion increases rapidly in Govan Mbeki Local Municipality

More than 500 illegal shacks have been erected in eMbalenhle, Mpumalanga.


The number of residents who are invading Extension 22 in eMbalenhle, Mpumalanga, is increasing rapidly.

This is according to the Ridge Times, which reports that more than 500 shacks have been erected in the area and are now close to a river.

It is alleged that each resident paid R100 to the leaders for administration purposes before they erected their shacks.

Invasion of the area began earlier this year and was led by an activist and EFF member, who made it clear he was not backing down on the issue of land grabbing.

In the past, he told the Ridge Times he would never stop encouraging residents to invade land: “The municipality must give land to the people and stop making excuses. The elderly do not have homes. The municipality told us last year the land was not good enough for people to live on, but they are currently building RDP houses on it.”

This is the third land invasion in the area after Marikana in Kinross and Marikana in the Mandela Section.

The Community Policing Forum urged the municipality to implement bylaws because the illegal squatter camps are contributing to crime.

They said where the shacks are situated, the roads are bad and police vehicles cannot get into those areas when a crime is reported.

They said most of the occupants in these areas are foreigners.

Joseph Mhlongo from the Community Policing Forum said land invasion increases daily in the area.

Caxton News Service

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