Estate residents call for removal of land invaders

Sunset Ridge Estate residents on Duiker Street, Rietfontein AH near Mooikloof, east of Pretoria, demand immediate action over the persistent illegal dumping, lawlessness and cable theft at an illegal squatter camp on a private property adjacent the estate.

Legal complexities have hampered Tshwane’s efforts to clean up or even evict the over 800 squatters as it failed to get hold of the property owner.

The estate residents are in a state of anxiety as the metro’s efforts to enforce the law are being hindered by an entangled web of legal obstacles, causing the prolonged existence of the unauthorised camp nearby

For almost 13 years, the Sunset Ridge Estate Home Owners Association has been fighting and approaching the courts to permit the eviction of squatters from Plot 25 as they say their presence contributes to depreciation of their property values and lawlessness.

Estate residents told Rekord that their homes were being devalued and many custodians of various plots or land have either not built, or stopped building.

In 2019, the association petitioned the metro to evict the squatters, as they allegedly were engaging in all kinds of illegal activities such as drug trafficking, selling of liquor, running brothels, disturbing the peace day and night and the illegal dumping of waste.

The association said residents found themselves in a very vulnerable situation, as crime has increased in the area the illegal dumping and pollution persisted.

Association chairperson Wouter Vink said residents were dismayed that those who are meant to protect them ignore them.

“The squatting has brought issues such as health hazards, crime and pollution, as well as depreciating property value. Potential buyers no longer want to invest in the area and people are selling off their property before they lose more value.”

Vink said the squatters burn waste, causing a bad smell which is a health hazard, and were carrying on with illegal and disturbing activities.

“The illegal dumping has reached such a stage that trucks are waiting in line to dump waste. Construction businesses now save money for refuse removal as they dump at the created illegal dumping [site].

We approached the High Court and our application was enrolled on the unopposed roll of December 6, 2023, wherein we sought an order for default judgment, said Vink.

He said the Supreme Court had yet to set a date to hear the appeal.

He explained that there was a very offensive and unpleasant odour from Plot 25, presumably from human waste.

“From the inspection conducted by the Health and Environmental Department in 2016, there was only one latrine serving 150 people. It is not surprising that there is nauseating stench coming from the camp.”

The association demanded that the metro give the property owners an ultimatum to demolish these structures, and if the owner cannot be traced, auction the property or develop it for residential or agricultural purposes.

The association also demanded that the metro:

– Order the owner to clean the property and remove squatters by a set deadline.

– If the owner fails to comply, expropriate the property and list it for sale on the open market.

– Allocate the sale proceeds to cover cleanup costs, fines, and other related expenses.

The association also said the SAPS needed to set up a satellite station for Rietfontein and Mooikloof area because 35 minutes away, Boschkop police cannot respond to emergencies on time.

Resident Heather van Rensburg said, “Trucks queue to dump at the illegal dump further exacerbating the problem”.

She said concerned citizens contacted regularly metro police and Tshwane, yet no action has been taken.

“This issue started years back and it is so bad that it is a mountain spilling into the street, and they are now dumping across the street.”

Ward 91 councillor Henning Viljoen said the property owner does not take responsibility for contravening the laws.

“There are vested interests such as shack farming and we have a problem with enforcement of the by-laws due to TMPD capacity.”

Viljoen said the illegal water and power connections were reported regularly and addressed, but the squatters often reconnect themselves.

He said the camp “mafias” charge people to dump waste there.

Viljoen said a solution to the issue would be to sell the land.

He said if the land were sold, this could inject more urgency into the relocation of the squatters.

On December 9, the association and other role players met to discuss the issues related to the camp. They raised their complaints and demands with the MMC of Community Safety but to date, no response has been received regarding solutions over the criminal element at the camp.

Rekord contacted MMC for Community Safety, Hannes Coetzee, but at the time of publication he had not responded.

Metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said the city’s health department had exhausted all means to trace the trustees of the property.

“This includes having sent registered mail to trustees who were traced to areas outside of the city, which was returned uncollected. Two years ago, a notice was issued in terms of the National Health Act to the trustees. These notices were not delivered, according to the records from the postal bureau.”

He said the city requested TMPD to increase patrols in the area to deter and minimise crime.

“The excessive illegal dumping of waste is occurring within the boundaries of Plot 25, which is a privately owned property, and the city cannot take the responsibility of implementing preventative measures against illegal dumping of waste and clearance of illegal dumping at privately owned properties.”

He said the city was in the process of tracking the owners of the property so that they could be held accountable for cleaning the area and to prevent further occurrence of environmental degradation.

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