Hekpoort, a town located in the Cradle of Humankind, is facing a squatter crisis that is creating environmental issues and a surge in crime, where residents feel under siege
This is according to attorney Christopher Bean, who told BizNews that the quiet rural settlement west of Johannesburg is circling the drain, and the community is now turning to the courts to force government action.
Bean explained that the issue first came to public attention when somebody pointed out that there’s a sewage pipe going from a low-cost housing development straight into the Magalies River.
The Magalies River flows into the Hartbeespoort Dam, passing farms, residential areas, and tourist venues along the way.
The community brought an application in the High Court after Mogale City refused to give them answers about the problem.
That legal effort unearthed a far deeper problem. In court documents, Mogale City admitted it was building 208 houses in the area. However, it revealed that up to 36,000 more people were expected to arrive.
“You’re literally transforming and destroying the existing environment,” Bean said. “You would have thought people would have had some idea about demographics or sociology.”
Bean estimated that already between 150,000 and 200,000 people are living in informal settlements across five squatter camps surrounding Hekpoort, and more could follow.
“There’s no employment, no facilities, the schools are full, the clinic is a truck that comes once a week. This is a rural area with nothing to offer, and they’re dumping thousands of people into it,” he said.
He described the development as a “brand new, upgraded squatter camp” and warned that without proper infrastructure or support, the situation will continue to deteriorate.
“There is an extraordinary amount of crime going on at the moment because most of these people do not have any work,” he said.
The consequences are already being felt. One holiday resort in the area has been robbed 12 times in 12 months.
“That’s 12 armed robberies in just as many months. Think about that,” said Bean.
“There is enormous crime here. Everyone on the farms is armed, and we now have Zama Zamas (illegal miners) operating on the mountains too. It’s a nightmare in heaven.”
Compounding the issue is Mogale City’s lack of transparency and accountability. The community has asked for the list of housing beneficiaries.
This was a promise made in 2010 to provide homes for local farm workers and resort staff, but the city has refused to release it.
Bean believes that the housing development has become a magnet for wider problems.
He added that the area isn’t just any rural patch of land, it’s part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Cradle of Humankind.
He also raised concerns about social unrest. Locals fear that if ‘outsiders’ are given houses instead of long-term residents, the situation could become explosive.
“They’ve said if outsiders get these houses, they’re going to burn them down. That is a threat that has been created because of the alleged dishonesty.”
Despite the conflict, Bean is still hopeful that a solution can be reached. “We want a round table,” he said.
“We’re preparing a proposal to say, ‘This is what we think you should have in our area, and here’s why.’ We want to avoid another squatter camp. We want a plan that could be used across the country.”
Bean added that the people being relocated aren’t to blame. “You can’t blame them. They’ve got nothing else to do. There’s no industry nearby, no work, nothing,” he said.
“This is not the fault of the people who’ve been dumped here. It’s the fault of the people who dumped them here.”
BusinessTech reached out to Mogale City Local Municipality for a response to the issues raised by Bean, but it did not respond by the time of publication.
Issued on BusienessTech by Malcolm Libera | https://businesstech.co.za/news/government/830230/the-town-in-south-africa-where-businesses-are-being-robbed-12-times-in-12-months/
