By Luvuyo Mjekula
Violent scenes played out in Makhanda as the land dispute between the Makana Municipality and a group of residents escalated last weekend.
In the chaos that saw police firing tear gas, stun grenades and rubber bullets, certain municipal buildings were torched and a municipal councillor was arrested on trespassing charges.
Parts of the Joza Indoor Sports Centre and the Housing Department, also in Joza, were set alight. It is not clear how much damage was caused to the buildings.
However, in a notice released by the Joza Aerobics and Fitness Club on Monday, the club announced it had had to cancel their gym session and the entire sports complex was closed “due to safety concerns”.
Meanwhile, EFF proportional representation (PR) councillor in the Makana Municipality, Mzamo Booysen, and co-accused Andile Fantesi, who were arrested during the fracas, appeared in the Makhanda Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday. They were charged with trespassing and obstructing the police and also faced an alternative count of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. However, there was no evidence that a police officer had been injured, the court heard.
Booysen and Fantesi were each released on R2 000 bail.
The confrontation erupted after residents who call themselves “landless residents”, had returned to the piece of land known as eGalfini in Joza and started erecting structures on Saturday, in full view of the police.
Apparently acting on a High Court order prohibiting the occupation of the land, public order police moved in and used force to remove the residents whiles a group of men and women said to be contracted by the Makana Municipality started demolishing the structures and burning the materials.
The angry eMpolweni Squatter Camp, as the residents call the piece of land, slammed the municipality for destroying their personal property. “They could have given us back our belongings,” shouted one resident.
Meanwhile, a number of residents accused the police of using excessive force, with some sustaining injuries from rubber bullets. The residents said some were still building when the police attacked them without warning.
“We were victimised because we did nothing except wanting to stay in a place we had chosen. All the interdicts and other court documents [they talk about]were never served on us. We were shocked that there was an interdict on 29 August.
“As residents who were not informed, we decided to wait for the municipal manager to come to us. But he never came to us. The interdict was only shown to us by the police, not the municipality,” said Simphiwe Cangweni.
Another resident, Simphiwe Mdluli, said a rubber bullet struck his arm while a homeowner in Eluxolweni was furious that police fired teargas into his home where he resides with young children.
Mdluli said the residents’ struggle for land would continue. “If what happened in Marikana must happen here, so be it,” he said.
It is not clear when the ongoing dispute over the piece of land will be resolved.
The DA in Makana has called on the municipality to work towards creating opportunities for all residents that qualify to access decent and secure housing. “The DA understands the desperation and frustration that leads to illegal land occupations, particularly in cases where individuals and families that qualify have been failed by the system and lack of access to adequate housing,” DA councillor and caucus leader Luvuyo Sizani said in a statement.
He said lack of infrastructure capacity since 2012 has hindered housing developments, leaving many without viable options for secure and decent living conditions. “While the DA acknowledges the humanitarian aspect of this issue and the need for urgent solutions, we also emphasise the importance of upholding the rule of law, and ensuring that any development or housing solution is sustainable, safe and compliant with existing regulations.”
The DA further called for increased infrastructure investment, sustainable and inclusive planning as well as collaboration and community engagement.
