For soundbites on Mr. Rikus Badenhorst’s remarks, click on these links:
On Land Invasions and Disasters: https://iono.fm/e/1483008
On the PIE Act and Regulations: https://iono.fm/e/1482963
Parliament, Tuesday, 17 September 2024 – The National Council of Provinces’ (NCOP) Western Cape Provincial Whip, Mr. Rikus Badenhorst MP singled out land invasion and disasters as key impediments to timely delivery of infrastructure projects in the province. He made remarks at the start of the NCOP Provincial Week oversight programme at the Western Cape Provincial Legislature on Tuesday.
He said the delegation will use their time this week to interrogate how challenges relating to land invasions and the effects of disasters can be resolved to expedite service delivery to communities.
He leads the NCOP Western Cape Permanent delegation which kickstarted its provincial oversight visit with a briefing by Member of the Provincial Cabinet, Minister Tertuis Simmers and officials from the Provincial Department of Infrastructure on unlawful occupation of land in various regions of the City of Cape Town.
The department reported that since March 2020, at the beginning of the Covid-19 National Lockdown, at least 186 new settlements emerged in various regions, posing imminent risk to biodiversity, floodplains, historical landfills, rail, power and water infrastructure networks. The affected areas include some hotspots such as Du Noon and Baden Powell in the Northern Region, Khayelitsha, Mfuleni and Strand, and others in the Southern Region of the city.
The delegation conducted a site visit to Du Noon where five newly established informal settlements, with a total of 5 237 structures, have been erected in government and private land since 2020. They observed some of the structures that are built along railway lines and wetlands, posing risks of loss of lives and damage to property during rainy seasons and floods.
The NCOP convoy also visited the Baden Powell area where an influx of land invasion is reportedly on the rise. The department briefed the delegates on site and reported that in 2018 only the Monwabisi Park township existed in the Baden Powell area with no informal settlements. But by 2023, following the National Lockdown, new extensions mushroomed, with at least 6 236 additional informal structures built.
The Minister said the impact and cost of land invasions on communities is estimated at R1.3 billion worth of housing development sites. Planned and funded projects are negatively impacted, impeding service delivery and depriving residents of critical infrastructure upgrades. A total of 1570 housing opportunities are reportedly affected in Khayelitsha alone to the value of R77 million.
The delegates asked tough questions on measures the provincial and local governments have taken to prevent unlawful land invasion and manage lawful evictions. The Minister and officials pointed to Lockdown Regulations, the Disaster Management Act of 2002 and related regulations as key impediments to their efforts. They said the regulations took precedence over eviction orders during the Covid-19 Lockdown period, preventing enforcement. Post Lockdown, the city struggles with a backlog of eviction court cases, while new cases emerge.
They said certain provisions of the Prevention of Illegal Eviction and Unlawful Occupation of Land Act (PIE Act), such as provision of alternative accommodation, makes it difficult for provincial and local governments to enforce lawful evictions.
Mr. Badenhorst assured the government and City officials that the NCOP delegation will make recommendations for the tightening of the PIE Act to ensure efficiency in application and implementation of concerned provisions.
The delegates will reconvene at the Western Cape Provincial Legislature on Wednesday for another briefing, and proceed to visit social housing projects in Maitland, Goodwood, and Pinelands.
The visits are part of the NCOP’s annual high-impact Provincial Week Oversight programme where delegates return to their respective provinces to conduct oversight on infrastructure projects. This year’s programme is organised under the theme "Confronting the Challenges Facing the Timely Delivery of Viable Public Infrastructure to Communities".
ISSUED BY PARLIAMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA.
For media interviews with NCOP Delegates and details of the programme, please contact:
Mr. Xihlamariso Ngoveni (Communications Officer)
083 529 1888 / 071 551 2269
E-mail: xngoveni@parliament.gov.za
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