/ 25 May 2000

KASRILS TO BE GRILLED ON SQUATTERS

NATIONAL water affairs and forestry minister Ronnie Kasrils will be tackled next Tuesday over the unresolved problem of squatters in the sensitive Dukuduku Forest near St Lucia. KwaZulu-Natal’s agriculture and environment MEC, Narend Singh, said on Wednesday that he would personally meet with the minister to find out why the matter had not been settled. Eighteen months ago, former minister for water affairs and forestry, Kader Asmal, stated that the squatters must move from what is one of South Africa’s last remaining coastal forests. Two sugar cane farms were bought nearby at a cost of R11 million for resettlement and a moratorium was placed on new arrivals in the forest. Despite this, new people arrive in the forest daily and according to one of the longest-standing forest residents, Baba Msweli, the forest is gone.