Valley Road residents fed up with vagrants
These vagrants apparently engage in drug abuse, trafficking, loud shouting matches, fights, and parties.

Residents living on Valley Road in Sunnyside are calling for action regarding the large number of vagrants squatting close to their homes at a storm drain by the Walkerspruit River.
This was the consensus during a recent oversight visit conducted by various stakeholders, including DA Premier candidate Solly Msimanga, City Property, the Clydesdale Village Association, ward councillors Dana Wannenberg and Leanne de Jager and the Sunnyside CPF.
“The issue of vagrants living illegally behind residents’ homes has led to unsanitary conditions in their area, noise disturbances and three fires during 2023, which threatened to burn down their properties,” said De Jager.
“The fires were caused by open cooking in the spaces behind their homes. The complaint of dumping outside these premises and into the Walkerspruit River was noted.”
One such resident, Ockert van Niekerk, said they sympathised with the vagrants but couldn’t compromise their safety any longer.
“What we unfortunately have is a property that has been illegally occupied, which is now home to a large number of vagrants that far outstrips the capacity of the property in terms of health and safety,” Van Niekerk said.
“The situation poses numerous health problems – the fly and rat population in the area has exploded, and they have no way to dispose of their waste. The portion of the spruit next to the property resembles a municipal dumping ground,” Van Niekerk said.
“Additionally, this build-up of waste is occasionally set fire to (intentionally) as a measure to control the volume, which covers the houses in the area with large amounts of toxic fumes for days,” he added.

People said the vagrants also burn wood, charcoal, plastic and anything flammable for warmth and cooking, especially in winter. This often results in the fumes entering residents’ homes and leading to fires.
Van Niekerk said that on certain occasions last year, the community had to take matters into their own hands.
“On each occasion, the community has had to come together to control the flames, with the fire department being summoned on two of those occasions where the fire raged out of control, despite the community’s efforts,” Van Niekerk said.
Vagrants also engage in drug abuse and trafficking, loud shouting matches, fights, and parties, residents claimed.
Residents reportedly want to close the area to keep squatters at bay.
“Since the area is a prime target for crime, the community is also trying to work towards a closure project. We are a ‘low-income’ area, but we’re lucky enough to fall under a larger community which assists greatly in this endeavour.
“However there is a concern that to retain access to the property, the vagrants will also demolish any structures or barriers erected to affect the closure. This could amount to significant additional financial strain on the project,” Van Niekerk said.
Resident and member of the Clydesdale Village Association, Cecile le Roux, echoed these sentiments, stating that while they didn’t want to seem callous, something had to be done.
“There are no facilities adjacent to the Walkerspruit canal. They are living in inhumane circumstances, there’s no toilets, there’s nothing. We’ve seen rats the size of cats running around there,” Le Roux said.
She said they cared about the people and wanted to see them moved to a shelter or temporary accommodation with more humane conditions. She claimed that the vagrants used water from the canal for daily tasks and illegally dumped litter in the area, causing health and fire hazards.
At the time of publication, the Tshwane metro had not responded to the inquiry Rekord had sent regarding the matter.
Le Roux, while singing their praises, said they could only do so much.
“They always come to help, the metro, the police, the council. They’ve moved people from the squatting areas, but then they just come back after they’ve left,” Le Roux said.
“We’re busy with an application to close off the neighbourhoods, we call it the Clydesdale Security Precinct and that will include the open areas along the river so people can’t dump there or live there anymore. They can use it as a park, but people won’t be able to live in that area.”
The stakeholders hope to apply within a month. Should it be approved, it could take up to 15 months for the operations to commence.
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