Field of broken dreams: Vagrants highjack land meant for school
The education department says the school has submitted to terminate the lease agreement on the land.
An increasing number of vagrants and waste pickers are reportedly moving onto the land along Delmas Road that was originally earmarked for a school sports field.
The land, intended for Laerskool Elarduspark, has been hijacked and turned into an illegal waste-sorting area.
The land lies behind the Pretoria east “ghost mall” (The Villa Mall), adjacent to the closed-down Garstkloof landfill site, which was decommissioned in 2013 after it reached its maximum capacity.
The illegal recycling activity poses not only a threat to residents’ safety and security, but also to the environment.
Local safety forums and community organisations have raised the alarm, saying the land has become a breeding ground for crime and a stash site for stolen goods.
The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) signed a lease agreement with the city in March 2009 since the school was rapidly growing in numbers and needed space for a sport fields.
However, the land is now home to squatters and an alleged breeding ground for thieves.
Community Policing Subforum (LS4 CPSF) spokesperson Shawn Fouché claimed that more people have moved into the site.
“When we recently had our patrols, we noted a number of people now on the land, and we have seen new tents and structures built for shelter.”
Fouché said little remains of the fence around the property.
According to Fouché, the plastic pickers use the land to sort their waste, “then they leave what they don’t want there”.
“The waste that is lying around creates a serious health risk for all residents in the vicinity. It is illegal to be sorting waste [there], the property is not zoned to run a business.”
She said illegal sorting also creates health hazards, attracts rodents and is a fire hazard to the area.
Fouché added that criminals allegedly commit crimes in the houses next to Delmas Road and stash their loot at the site.
LS4 CPSF believes the development of the property into sports grounds will also allow the landfill site to be secured by a fence.
“Currently, it is believed that criminals are using these properties as escape routes and to hide stolen property,” she said.
Fouché claimed that some people moving from Wolwespruit informal settlement intend to relocate to the site and the closed-down landfill site.
“Should more people move into the landfill site, it will also create more crime problems as well as environmental issues.”
The GDE revealed it is in the process of terminating the lease agreement with the metro.
Spokesperson Steve Mabona said the school governing body (SGB) has since decided to terminate the lease and hand the grounds back to the municipality.
“The negotiations with the municipality are currently regarding the periods for the termination thereof.”
Mabona said the SGB has entered into the lease agreement with the metro, and the land is private land not zoned for educational purposes.
He said the school has continuously maintained the grounds by cutting the grass in an attempt to keep it clean and free of vagrants.
“The grounds have always remained locked. Unfortunately, the locks were broken by the illegal vagrants, who then gained illegal entrance to the grounds. This also perpetuates the issue of illegal dumping on the grounds and the illegal sorting of waste,” he explained.
Mabona added that when work on the ghost mall was halted, the school was left with bare grounds and could not develop the sports ground on its own.
He claimed the school has delivered letters on various occasions to ask illegal occupants to vacate the premises, and the police were contacted and brought to the sports ground, but the squatters persisted.
Metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said the lease is still valid. However, the school has submitted a voluntary termination notice of the lease agreement on June 18, and the city is processing it.
“The city will take action once the process to terminate the lease agreement is completed.”
Mashigo said the city will commence with the process of taking over and cleaning the property.
He said once the termination and the cleaning of the land have been completed and the property is under the municipality, the metro can decide on the best possible use.
“The city will commence with the process to address all the risks associated with this property once the process to terminate the lease agreement is concluded and the property is under its full control.”
When speaking to the waste pickers, they told Rekord they are not criminals and don’t terrorise the local community.
They said they only sort out waste so that they can put bread on the table.
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