Dying diggers of Namaqualand need saving
| by Delmaine Christians MP – DA Northern Cape NCOP Member |
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| Date: 14 February 2020 |
| Release: Immediate |
| The Democratic Alliance in the Northern Cape is deeply concerned by Sol Plaatje municipality’s casual attitude towards ongoing land grabs and mushrooming illegal settlements in and around Kimberley.In the latest incident, illegal shacks on the piece of land at the corner of Palvie and Silson Streets in Kirstenhof, have caused much unhappiness amongst residents living in the surrounding area.The land in question, which was not earmarked for housing but rather development, has not been serviced for the purposes of human settlements. Shack dwellers are crossing over into the residential area to collect water from the taps of residents, who ultimately have to pay for additional water use. At the same time, there is no sanitation and people are using the bushes as toilets, which is a health risk. Crime in the area has also escalated, and ratepaying residents are concerned about the devaluation of their properties.The Palvie street settlement is not the only one of its kind. Every day, more illegal shacks are springing up in and around Kimberley. In fact, some erven are even being allocated by self-appointed “land allocation committees”. One of these unauthorized groups has called itself the “Concerned Residents”. It is made up of a group of young people who have taken it upon themselves to allocate land. It seems that some of them have moved out from their parents’ homes and simply want a place to call their own.While the land in Palvie Street happens to be municipal land, the practice of land grabs remains unacceptable. The DA understands the frustrations of people who continue to be deprived of an opportunity to own their own home because Sol Plaatje is too incompetent to secure and avail land and because it has been slow in addressing housing issues. However, it still cannot just be a free-for-all.There are elderly people who have been waiting for houses for years. Now young people are simply jumping the queue. At this rate, government will never be able to address its ever growing housing backlog.Most concerning of all is that Sol Plaatje municipality is just turning a blind eye. This makes one question who is actually behind the land grabs.By failing to speedily act, the municipality tacitly approves the land use for housing purposes and in fact forfeits its 48-hour period on which to remove residents from the land with no strings attached. After the 48-hours have expired, the municipality becomes bound to achieve certain conditions, before relocating the shack dwellers.Not only is the municipality creating an additional financial burden for itself but it is also creating an enabling environment for land grabs. This is very worrying given the current climate of expropriation without compensation.The DA has raised the Palvie Street matter with the municipality but we have not gotten the response that we require. In effect, Sol Plaatje’s management of land and housing most definitely does not inspire confidence that, should the highly controversial property clause in Section 25 of the Constitution relinquish property rights, property will be managed in a controlled and fair process.DA councillors will continue to seek answers and action on Palvie street, as well as other illegal settlements in the city, while I will also escalate this to a national level.In order for our city, our province and our country to go forwards, property rights must, at all times, be fairly allocated and protected but it is increasingly clear that this is not going to happen under the current government. |
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