MOSSEL BAY NEWS - The Mossel Bay municipal council unanimously agreed that private land, currently housing a growing informal settlement on the outskirts of Asla Park, be purchased in order to proceed with the installation of electrical amenities for the residents.

An interdict will be obtained, in conjunction with the seller of the property, to prevent any further illegal occupants moving on to the land.

As the property does not yet belong to the municipality, municipal services may legally not be rendered to the informal community members, despite their demands, especially for electricity.

Intimidated
The illegal occupiers have in recent months increasingly intimidated residents in especially the Dube Street area in order to tap electricity illegally from utility poles in the backyards of the formal homes that border the informal settlement.

The intimidation this week escalated to actual attacks on Dube Street residents and community leaders, with at least one person being hurt.

The community of Dube Street warns that the intensity of the intimidation is escalating and that communty members are living in fear as a result.

The illegal tapping of electricity has also resulted in electricity cuts to the paying residents, giving rise to their increasing frustration with the situation.

A representative group of Dube Street residents attended the special council meeting on Wednesday, 20 June, where it was decided the land occupied by residents in the informal area reverts to government.

The Dube Street residents at times became rowdy when they realised that they would not be allowed to address the councillors during the meeting. They accused council of not consulting with them, insisting they had never seen their ward councillor during all of the fracas.

Several councillors, however, used the various caucus breaks to consult with the residents and ensured that their concerns and complaints were tabled during the meeting.

The Speaker, Councillor Petrie Terblanche, and other councillors concurred that the lives of people living in the affected areas are precious and that everything possible should be done to ensure that their safety is not jeopardised.

The municipal manager, Advocate Thys Giliomee, stressed that the purchase price of the land would not be funded from municipal money.

Housing is not a municipal function and therefore the provincial government will have to fund the transaction.

Responding to ACDP Councillor Jeanette Gouws, who questioned the amount involved, Adv Giliomee said the proposed purchase price of R14 750 000 was determined by an independent valuer who acted on behalf of the seller.

"The provincial government will, before the transaction is concluded, ensure through its own valuer that a fair price is determined."

Councillors for the ANC warned that the community of illegal occupiers should also be consulted to ensure no further illegal structures are erected. A meeting was scheduled for Thursday afternoon.

Lives, welbeing important
All councillors agreed that the animosity between the communities involved should be addressed urgently.

Councillor Barnie Groenewald, chief whip of the DA, added that it was an obligation that both lives and council infrastructure and the wellbeing of the communities concerned be protected. Councillor Dawid Kamfer (Icosa) warned that the situation is so dire that a very real danger exists that lives may be lost if the situation regarding the electricity is not resolved quickly.

Councillor Stanford Mbandezi (ANC) warned that it is not merely the Dube Street area that is at risk, but rather all communities living close to informal areas.

The manager in the office of the municipal manager, Colin Puren, reminded the councillors that the municipal manager and relevant councillors had recently met with senior police officers to ensure the community's safety.

A follow-up meeting with the acting commanding officer of the Da Gamaskop Cluster, Col Una Saayman, and the commanding officer of the Da Gamaskop Police Station, Col Hartzenberg, was held on Wednesday afternoon with the municipal manager, relevant councillors, directors and senior managers.

Puren stressed the importance of police assistance to defuse the growing animosity in especially Dube Street, but also in other informal settlements.

Allegations by the Dube Street community that, in their experience the police were not responsive to their pleas for help, were discussed and Col Saayman indicated that several arrangements will be made to address the community's concerns.

"The informal occupants need to be given legal electricity connections so that they, too, can pay for it and be done with it," a community member said.

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