Noise barrier chopped down
The frustration of residents with the continued existence of the huge Plastic View squatter camp on their doorstep was exacerbated when the metro chopped down massive trees that served as a noise buffer.
Several trees, some older than 100 years and the only buffer between some residents and Plastic View squatter camp, were chopped down by the metro last week.
Residents of Glossa Estate in Moreleta Park said they had not been informed or consulted about the Tshwane metro’s decision to chop down some of the trees.
Homeowners in the upmarket area have been fighting a losing battle for the past 15 years against the existence and mushrooming of Woodlane Village, better known as Plastic View.
“There is a small park in Glossa Estate in the Wesa conservancy area which residents had, at our own cost, fenced in with the approval of the municipality to keep unwanted elements out. We maintain the park ourselves with the cooperation of the council,” said resident Eben van Wyk.
On Thursday and Friday, a team of Tshwane metro employees moved in and started taking down some of the trees.
Glossa Estate chairman, Gary van Niekerk, confirmed that he had not been aware of the council’s decision to cut down the trees.
At the time of going to print, Rekord could not get any official comment from the metro regarding the issue, but it is believed that not all the trees would be removed.
Only the trees that posed a danger of falling over and damaging houses would be chopped down.
However, according to Van Wyk, no resident had actually lodged a complaint about the trees or had expressed fear that the trees might damage their properties.
“I am fully aware that the eucalyptus or so-called blue gum trees are water hungry trees and not indigenous, but why could the metro not have waited until the squatter camp issue had been resolved before taking down the only buffer between us and the squatters?” Van Wyk asked.
He said there were several other trees in the area that were not indigenous.
The fate of the estimated 3 000 residents of Plastic View had not yet been finalised.
Ten years ago, Tshwane metro had burnt down the squatter camp, but an intervention by Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) saw the North Gauteng High Court ordering the rebuilding of shacks on the property, situated in one of the most affluent areas of Pretoria.
Adjacent to the NG Church Moreleta and neighbouring Woodhill Golf Estate, Mooikloof Estate and Woodlands Boulevard, several attempts had been made in the past to regulate the settlement.
Last year, the Plastic View issue again made a turn in court when Tshwane metro announced that the property on which the settlement was situated, as well as the adjacent property, would be auctioned off.
An urgent application by LHR halted the auction of the land and the court ordered that the land may not be sold until such time as a permanent solution, such as the relocation of the squatters, was finalised.
During the court case, an affidavit stated that a new parcel of land “situated about 1 km” from the current site, had been identified by the metro and that the Plastic View residents would be moved there. The court however, still halted the auction of the land that Tshwane estimated would fetch about R35 million.
It could not be officially confirmed, but sources told Rekord earlier that the illegal foreigners in the squatter camp were delaying the settlement of the issue.
“The home affairs department is now involved and until such time as the illegals had been deported, it is unlikely that the issue will be resolved anytime soon,” the source, who wished not to be identified said.
“There is no way that the Tshwane metro will relocate and supply housing to illegals.”
Lawyers representing the various homeowner associations opposed to the existence of the squatter camp – comprising about 1 000 dwellings – earlier said they were granting the metro time to resolve the matter to the satisfaction of all parties.
Meanwhile, residents who regularly contact Rekord to complain about the continued existence of the illegal village, were being kept in the dark with frustration growing.
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