Centurion residents plead with officials to stop ‘encroaching’ squatters
Residents feel the squatters from nearby Atteridgeville are to blame for various issues plaguing the community including crime.
Residents in Schurveberg, Centurion, have blamed anything from land invasions and car hijackings to litter dumping and aloe poaching on squatters from nearby Atteridgeville.
“Our concern, however, is mostly for the environment which is being destroyed by them,” said resident Avi Vanezis.
Vanezis made the above comments during a meeting between local residents and government and Tshwane metro officials at Mangwanani Spa held on Friday.
“Aloe poaching is a big problem in the area,” Vanezis told the meeting.
“Squatters simply come onto our properties and steal our aloes. The other day we stopped a small truck filled with aloe plants taken from the area, which we reclaimed and replanted.”
The meeting included representatives from AfriForum, the Gauteng department of agriculture and rural development as well as the Tshwane metro environmental department.
Illegal litter dumping had also become a problem in the area, said Vanezis.
“Also, the squatters hunt in the area with their dogs and they have killed so much game we sometimes hardly see any animals at all anymore,” she said.
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“This affecting our lifestyles and our businesses.”
Authorities represented at the meeting advised residents on what to do in order to prevent trespassing but said issues around crime must be taken up with the relevant departments.
“We often find residents will have problems with people coming onto their properties, only to find that the properties were not properly fenced up,” said local environmental management inspector Emmanuel Komana.
“Our advice to residents would be to increase the height of their fences and to work with the community.
“If you find the community are cutting down trees, tell community members which trees they can and can’t cut down.
“There are many invasive trees growing in this area, so residents can ask the community to cut down these trees and leave the indigenous ones alone.”
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The Gauteng department of agriculture and rural development also urged residents to report their concerns over land invasions to the relevant authorities.
“Issues over housing and the planning of these settlements must be addressed to the metro,” said departmental biodiversity steward Christina Seegers.
“We do patrols, but the first port of call should be the police whenever an aloe is stolen or there is a hijacking.
“The metro’s green scorpions might be in a better position to mobilise themselves and respond quickly to concerns.”
Seegers suggested getting help from security companies and working together to combat biodiversity crimes.
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