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Residents of Covid casual settlement need CapeNature to assist them discover new land, however CapeNature says it isn’t their accountability
Covid is an off-the-cuff settlement that was established on Driftsands Nature Reserve throughout the pandemic lockdowns. The reserve is managed by CapeNature.
The occupiers have been served with eviction notices and should vacate the land by 25 June.
On Monday about 400 Covid residents protested and a conflict with police ensued.
Police used rubber bullets to disperse protestors who had blocked the doorway to the Driftsands Nature Reserve on Monday night. Neighborhood members have been dragged away from the gate, and we noticed two neighborhood members being shot with rubber bullets. At the very least 5 neighborhood members have been arrested, and Covid neighborhood chief Luthando Mncuntula handed himself over to the police.
About 400 residents of the Covid casual settlement, which is positioned within the Driftsands Nature Reserve, sat down in entrance of the doorway to the Driftsands Nature Reserve Environmental Centre on Monday afternoon, stopping staff from coming into or leaving the premises.
They have been demanding that CapeNature representatives deal with their calls for for brand spanking new land to stay on.
Earlier in June the occupiers of this land close to Mfuleni had been served with eviction notices and had till 25 June to vacate the character reserve. Many of the settlement lies inside the Driftsands Nature Reserve, which is run by CapeNature on behalf of the Western Cape Authorities.
Then, about 45 shacks within the settlement have been washed away in floods final week. Native and provincial governments don’t contemplate the land secure for habitation.
Residents informed us that they’re prepared to maneuver from the reserve, however that CapeNature should determine land the place they will stay, service it, and assist them to maneuver. The Covid casual settlement was settled in 2020 throughout the pandemic lockdowns.
After we arrived at Driftsands at 2pm on Monday, some CapeNature staff who had left for lunch have been locked outdoors and couldn’t re-enter. Staff on the late shift additionally couldn’t get in. There have been vans idling outdoors.
Neighborhood chief Mncuntula informed GroundUp that they might bounce over the fence and sleep contained in the reserve if nobody attended to them. He stated that that they had been making an attempt to have a gathering with CapeNature officers for months, however had been spurned.
Police and Legislation Enforcement tried to barter with residents to permit staff entry to the positioning, however residents sat down on the entrance.
After 4 hours, a consultant from CapeNature arrived and requested the protesting residents to put in writing down their grievances, which they have been informed can be despatched to the precise folks. The CapeNature official informed the protestors that solely the Metropolis of Cape City and the Division of Human Settlements have been capable of help them, not CapeNature.
However residents didn’t budge and seemed to be satisfied that CapeNature was the entity answerable for addressing their plight.
Petro Van Rhyn, advocacy supervisor at CapeNature informed GroundUp that Monday’s occasions have been unlucky and that some employees had been traumatised.
Van Rhyn stated that CapeNature maintains an open line with the neighborhood and its management constructions. Earlier conferences with Covid residents had included discussions on the standing of the land as a nature reserve and its function in flood discount. They mentioned voluntary relocation to a safer website inside Driftsands, notably for these dwelling on the retention dam wall.
Van Rhyn stated that the Driftsands Nature Reserve isn’t appropriate for human settlement because it contains wetlands, the Kuils River and its banks, and flood discount infrastructure.
“CapeNature can’t present fundamental providers – it isn’t the entity’s accountability, and the land use of nature conservation doesn’t permit for service supply,” stated Van Rhyn.
Malusi Booi, Mayco Member for Human Settlements, stated that the Metropolis is unable to cater for unplanned settlements like Covid, as they don’t seem to be budgeted for, and established casual settlements are prioritised by the Metropolis.
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