On Monday morning
Protea Glen residents have warned illegal land invaders to stay away from a piece of land near the Soweto suburb.
“Our message is clear, they will not put up shacks in Protea Glen,” said resident and member of the area’s crisis committee, Phelelani Sindani.
Sindani said the committee had tried to engage with the land invaders since they arrived on the open field on May 1.
“The only problem we have here is when they come, they come in numbers. We saw it fit today not to go to work and close the roads,” Sindani said.
On Monday morning, several roads in the area were barricaded with burning trees and rocks. The ashes of burnt tyres lined streets on the side of which children in school uniform sat.
Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the illegal land invaders on Sunday.
‘We will have a lot of break-ins’
According to Sindani, the illegal land invaders came from all over Soweto.
“We don’t even know who these people are. This land belongs to the City of Johannesburg and they are going to build RDP houses here.”
He said there was concern that a wave of crime would hit the area if the invaders illegally erected shacks on the land.
“When they come they are going to want electricity and they are going to put up cables and steal it from us.
“They think we that live in houses are rich, so we will have a lot of break-ins.”
As the day progressed, protesters started to gather on Randfontein Road in Protea Glen.
They are demanding that Johannesburg Mayor Herman Mashaba addresses them.
The Johannesburg Metro Police Department and the police remain on high alert. — News 24