http://www.capetimes.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=4990400

Land invasions do not offer short cut to housing – Heuvel

May 21, 2009 Edition 1

Aziz Hartley

LAND invasions do not offer a short cut to housing and if tolerated would deprive other people who have waited years for houses, Macassar councillor John Heuvel said.

This after about 200 Macassar Village backyard dwellers invaded a piece of land adjacent to the N2 on Monday. City law enforcement officials evicted them during Tuesday’s violent confrontation when a number of people, including a policeman, were injured.

When three men arrested during the incident appeared in court yesterday, they were released on a warning to return on June 11.

“I’m against land invasions,” says Heuvel.

“That ground has been earmarked for 1 500 to 2 000 council houses. When people invade land and squat illegally they gain the impression they should get the first option for housing.

“There are other people, including people who live in backyards, who are waiting up to 30 years for their turn. We must be fair and honest with everybody,” Heuvel said yesterday when told that the Macassar Village backyarders had complained about their living conditions which had sparked the invasion.

He did what he could to help the evicted backyarders who took refuge on a smaller piece of land nearby, Heuvel said, adding that community halls in the area could not be utilised as shelters because they were booked out.

“Their structures were dismantled on Tuesday and I managed to have it returned to the people, but at the address where they stayed before the invasion. People must go back,” he said.

Meanwhile, Metro Police remained in the area to prevent a repeat invasion.

Backyard dweller Chandre Williams said that while a number of families had managed to have their children stay with relatives in the area people braced themselves for another night without shelter. “Last night we lit three fires to keep warm. It was not nice being out in the cold,” he said.

Macassar community policing forum head Rhoda Bazier said the backyard dwellers were advised to organise themselves and have representatives who could table their grievances with the authorities.

Macassar police station commissioner Princess Benjamin said she hoped the situation would be addressed speedily because police had better work to do than arresting people for trespassing.

“Arrests do not solve the problem. This is a municipal matter,” Benjamin said.

aziz.hartley@inl.co.za