The safety of Gauteng residents is under threat as informal settlements providing hideouts for criminals who are wreaking havoc in our communities continue to spring up along highways, near busy intersections, and even close to schools.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has been inundated with complaints from frustrated motorists and concerned residents, highlighting the Clay Oven and Ginger Farm informal settlements in the Paulshof area of Johannesburg as major sources of crime and grime.
According to the complaints received, some of these informal dwellers deliberately damage traffic lights to direct traffic themselves, soliciting donations of money and food from passing motorists. There have also been multiple reports of violence and even murder at these informal settlements, with little to no action taken to address the situation.
What might appear as an issue of housing is, in reality, being exploited by criminals. These makeshift settlements provide ideal hideouts for those who commit crimes, allowing them to strike at nearby targets and retreat swiftly into the maze of shacks. The prevalence of these dwellings has turned them into hotspots for crime, including drug dealing and other illegal activities.
This predicament is rather alarming because, during the recent State of the Province Address, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi made a bold commitment, stating that informal settlements must come to an end and there cannot be so many informal settlements in the Province of Gauteng. While this promise was a promising move in the right direction, the reality on the ground presents a different picture: nothing is being done to stop the spread of shack dwellings some of which are used as criminal hideouts.
While there is an undeniable housing shortage in Gauteng due to the government’s failure to provide adequate housing, forcing people to build informal structures, these dwellings should not be allowed to harbour criminals and deteriorate into crime hotspots.
The DA demands that the Department of Community Safety, led by Premier Lesufi, and relevant law enforcement agencies act on these criminals who are making life hard for motorists and learners. We cannot allow heinous acts to go unpunished nor designate any part of our province off-limits because criminals have anointed themselves as the ultimate power.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has posed questions to Premier Lesufi concerning the Clay Oven and Ginger Farm informal settlements to ascertain the actions taken by the Community Safety portfolio in response to the alleged criminal activities and is now waiting for a response. The Premier must be held accountable, and law enforcement must intensify its efforts to address these crime-ridden hotspots and restore safety and order across the province.
A DA government would identify these crime hotspots and ensure the presence of active and visible policing to deter these criminals from committing crimes. The DA would routinely conduct targeted operations to search and inspect these informal dwellings to remove lawless elements and ensure the safety of Gauteng residents.
The DA will not stay silent while the current administration neglects its responsibilities by failing to act decisively to address the mushrooming of criminal activity hubs. We will closely monitor the situation and take steps to hold those in power accountable.
Gauteng’s community deserves to feel secure from the menace of violent crime, and we are committed to making this the expected standard.