KwaDukuza mayor vows to prosecute land invaders

KwaDukuza mayor Ricardo Mthembu has vowed to prosecute invaders of privately held land on the Dolphin Coast.

Mayor Mthembu, who is also ANC regional chairperson said KDM stood firmly against the criminal behaviour and the illegal invasion stemming from a misunderstanding about land expropriation without compensation.

“This is not expropriation, this is an invasion and it is illegal. People are selling plots of land which they do not own.”

A community meeting is set for noon today (Wednesday) at the Stanger town hall to address the land grabs in Etete and Tinley Manor.

Also read: Land invaders build shacks on private land in Etete

One of the land invaders, who was from Durban, told the Courier messages had been circulating that there was free land up for grabs on the North Coast.

“No one is going to say no to free land and that is why we are here.

“We were told that if people can prove they own the land, then KwaDukuza municipality should buy the land and distribute it to the people.”

Chaos broke out in Etete and Tinley Manor over the weekend when hundreds of illegal invaders descended in an attempt to claim land which they said rightfully belonged to them.

People who travelled from as far as Eshowe burned grass and partitioned sections of vacant land between Etete and the upmarket Palm Lakes Estate in Tinley Manor.

They claimed to have bought the Etete plots from local traditional leaders for R50 and the 30 or so people who tried to occupy some land belonging to (but outside the boundaries of) Palm Lakes Estate said they bought the land for R2000.

Mthembu said the ANC would be educating communities on what the process of expropriation meant.

Royal Palm Property Holding SOO Olivia Roels-Sak said the invaders started pegging their land next to the estate, but outside the fence, last Saturday and Sunday.

“They invaded about 15 hectares of land which is rezoned to be used as an extension of the estate. The land is worth about R12 million.

“However, unlike some reports suggest, there were no more than 30 invaders and they were fairly peaceful.

“We filed a complaint with Umhlali SAPS and we have since had two meetings with KDM representatives and the chief.

WATCH: Illegal invaders descend on the Dolphin Coast

“Once we produced our deeds, the chief accepted that we are the rightful owners and agreed to communicate this with the invaders. We have had no problems since.”

Umhlali SAPS spokesperson Captain Vinny Pillay said the traditional leaders who addressed the crowd on Saturday claimed land from Etete to Zimbali rightfully belonged to them before it was forcefully taken during apartheid.

“The indunas were called to calm the situation but they instead told the people the land belonged to them and that they could do whatever they wanted with it.

“We cannot arrest anyone until the rightful landowners bring us a copy of their title deed and open a charge of trespassing.”

These have not been the only land invasions in KwaDukuza.

Two weeks ago, a community council in Doesburg, Stanger, sold farmland to people for R1000 a plot.

More than 15 shacks had been erected on private property owned by three people, while one shack was erected on what was used as the owner’s family grave site.

An Etete resident who asked to remain anonymous said most of the property was owned by elderly people who feared they would be easy targets if they took a stand.

“They are marking off peoples’ backyards and nothing can be done about it because there are thousands of them and a few of us.”

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