- Title: Illegal land occupations trouble South Africa's municipalities.
- Date: 22nd May 2017
- Summary: TSHWANE, SOUTH AFRICA (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF POLICE VEHICLES AT COMMUNITY GATHERING VARIOUS OF POLICE OFFICERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS CITY OF TSHWANE COUNCIL OFFICIAL ADDRESSING GATHERING (English): "If nothing has happened within your area it's you as the nation to speak out and say no one that was expected to come and speak to us has come." POLICE/ PEOPLE GATHERED LISTENING TO COUNCIL OFFICIAL VARIOUS OF SHACKS ON ILLEGALLY INVADED LAND MORE OF INFORMAL SETTLEMENT MAN PUTTING UP IRON SHEETING TO BUILD A HOUSE LAND SECTIONED OFF WITH RED AND WHITE TAPE (SOUNDBITE) (Sotho) SOLOMON NKWANE, INFORMAL SETTLEMENT RESIDENT SAYING: "The biggest issue for us right now is land... that's it. We want land and services and to get electricity and water so that we can do our things and so that our children can live like all the other people." (SOUNDBITE) (Zulu) PATRICIA JAFTA, INFORMAL SETTLEMENT RESIDENT SAYING: "What we are crying for island, because they have been saying our land is available. But where is it? We have nowhere to go except living in these shacks that burn easily. All they give us are useless small solar systems that don't even supply power to a stove but only sustain the lights and charges phones." JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA (RECENT) (REUTERS) LAND WHERE RESIDENTS WERE TRYING TO RESETTLE VARIOUS OF COMMUNITY RESIDENTS GATHERING TSHWANE, SOUTH AFRICA (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF TSHWANE MAYOR, SOLLY MSIMANGA IN HIS OFFICE (SOUNDBITE) (English) CITY OF TSHWANE MAYOR, SOLLY MSIMANGA SAYING: "You have a lot of people that occupy land illegally and sometimes even on private piece of land and then demand that the municipalities are supposed to be providing for services in those pieces of land. Now it's impossible for us to go and invest on property that doesn't belong to the city." CITY OF TSHWANE BILLBOARD SHOWING DETAILS OF SANITATION PROJECT VARIOUS OF TOILETS WATER TANK ON ROAD/ TRUCK DRIVES PAST WATER TAP (SOUNDBITE) (English) CITY OF TSHWANE MAYOR, SOLLY MSIMANGA SAYING: "What makes it difficult is that once people start occupying this land illegally then it's difficult for us to come back and service those pieces of land. So what we want to do is to make sure that we are able to put bulk infrastructure first of all on those pieces of land, we are able to demarcate it properly and then we are able to start moving people on to those pieces of land in manner that you know is organized." VARIOUS OF TEMPORARY SETTLEMENT/ MAKESHIFT HOUSES
- Embargoed: 5th June 2017 17:44
- Keywords: illegal land settlements housing service delivery urban migration Tshwane squatters Land
- Location: TSHWANE, SOUTH AFRICA
- City: TSHWANE, SOUTH AFRICA
- Country: South Africa
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0016HX79EF
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: In early May, a group of people from informal settlements in South Africa's Tshwane municipality gathered to protest poor, overcrowded living conditions and to demand resettlement, after attempts to occupy a nearby space was met with threats by private land owners.
Tshwane has been battling a wave of invasions as people illegally move into what they consider free spaces - a situation that has sparked debate and fears of a Zimbabwe-style seizure of land.
More than two decades after the end of apartheid rule, most of South Africa's land is still in the hands of the minority whites.
The ruling Africa National Congress (ANC) has long been committed to redistributing it with President Jacob Zuma renewing promises to change the constitution to expropriate land without compensation and redistributing it.
But the pace has been slow, relying mostly on a "willing buyer, willing seller" policy intended to respect property rights seen as vital to sustaining Africa's most industrialized economy.
"The biggest issue for us right now is land... that's it. We want land and services and to get electricity and water so that we can do our things and so that our children can live like all the other people," said Solomon Nkwane, a protester in Tshwane.
"What we are crying for is land, because they have been saying our land is available. But where is it? We have nowhere to go except living in these shacks that burn easily. All they give us are useless small solar systems that don't even supply power to a stove but only sustain the lights and charges phones," said Patricia Jafta, another protester.
Tshwane recently set up a special unit to fight land grabbing as cases of land invasions increase.
In May, more than 400 residents of Orange Farm, a township about 45 kilometers south of Johannesburg laid claim to private land and clashed with police who tried to bring down their makeshift shacks.
The Mayor of Tshwane, Solly Msimanga says land invasions actually counter efforts by the government to improve services.
"You have a lot of people that occupy land illegally and sometimes even on private piece of land and then demand that the municipalities are supposed to be providing for services in those pieces of land. Now it's impossible for us to go and invest on property that doesn't belong to the city," he said.
The housing deficit is an emotive issue in Africa's most industrialised country where 19 percent of families live in informal dwellings. Frustration over the pace of housing delivery preoccupies many voters and politicians have often used promises of land and wealth redistribution to draw support.
Authorities say they are making efforts to allocate space legally and offer services like water and electricity.
"What makes it difficult is that once people start occupying this land illegally then it's difficult for us to come back and service those pieces of land. So what we want to do is to make sure that we are able to put bulk infrastructure first of all on those pieces of land, we are able to demarcate it properly and then we are able to start moving people on to those pieces of land in manner that you know is organized," said the mayor.
ANC policies have helped more blacks climb into the wealthy bracket but informal, squalid settlements have mushroomed around cities as demand for housing has far outstripped the country's ability to provide it. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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