Decisive action needed at Wolwespruit otherwise it will create a cycle of lawlessness, warns AfriForum
Despite extensive efforts by AfriForum and other organisations to have unlawful occupiers removed from the Erasmuskloof wetland, illegal dumping in the area appears to be continuing. AfriForum warns that if decisive action is not taken, this will set a precedent for all future attempts to have unlawful occupants removed and relocated from properties in Pretoria. The Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality recently relocated numerous squatters, but within days, the same and new individuals had re-established themselves in the area.
“If the Metro does not act quickly against these offenders, it creates a cycle in which a few illegal occupiers quickly turn into an almost unmanageable group dumping waste and rubble in an area that is ecologically sensitive,” says Llewellyn Hemmens, AfriForum’s District Coordinator for Greater Pretoria North.
“The consequences of the Metro’s failure to maintain law and order are causing illegal settlements to grow, crime to increase and environmental pollution to become a permanent reality. The Metro is effectively abandoning law-abiding citizens in the fight against lawlessness.”
AfriForum therefore made an urgent appeal to the Tshwane Metro to:
- immediately and continuously clean up the Wolwespruit wetland;
- conduct regular patrols to prevent further squatters and illegal dumping;
- take criminal action against offenders; and
- strengthen cooperation with communities and civil society organisations to ensure that the area remains safe and unpolluted.
“We cannot allow a protected wetland to turn into a dumping ground and hub for crime. If the Metro does not take decisive action, this problem will only flare up again and again, with greater consequences for residents and the environment each time,” says Hemmens.
AfriForum calls on the community to remain vigilant and report any illegal dumping or construction of structures immediately. It is only through cooperation that the cycle of lawlessness will be broken.
Visit www.wordlid.co.za to get involved with the organisation that fights for justice and against deterioration.
