City will not tolerate bullying tactics used by Sanral

Please note that the below is the City's position as set out on 5 February 2014.

The City of Cape Town notes the media release sent by the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) on the eviction by Sanral of illegal occupiers on Sanral-owned land in Somerset West.

We urge Sanral to come clean with the facts. This is Sanral-owned land. The City repeatedly warned Sanral to protect their land against the continual and new land invasions. They were advised by the City to purchase suitably sized land to accommodate the affected households. They have not done so. The City has never objected to Sanral buying land for the occupiers when this was discussed in 2011.

It must be noted that Sanral's statement, passing the buck onto the City, is disingenuous. Their statement refers to historic occurrences and not to the new occupiers who have been affected by Sanral's recent evictions. Sanral is evicting a new set of invaders.

We plead with Sanral stop this blame-game and to put the needs of the residents first.

As the land in question is owned by Sanral, the City has not been responsible for the policing of these informal settlements. Sanral appointed a private company to ensure that no further growth of the settlements takes place, but new structures have continued to be built on the Sanral-owned land.

As the settlements are on Sanral land, the City may not provide services without the consent of the land owner, which in this case is Sanral.  In the 2004/2005 financial year, Sanral allowed the City to provide a certain number of container toilets in the settlements. These toilets have unfortunately been vandalised and damaged beyond repair. The Ward Councillors requested that the City provide additional services.

Sanral, however, refused to allow the City to provide these services and used the dispute between the City and Sanral on the proposed N1 and N2 Winelands Toll Road Project as the basis for their refusal. Subsequently, the City insisted that Sanral provide water and sanitation services to the households in these settlements. Numerous attempts to get a firm commitment from Sanral have unfortunately failed. The only option the City has had in an effort to provide services and interim relief to these residents is to provide services on the periphery on City-owned land, adjacent to Sanral's property.

Not the City, nor the dispute, has had any bearing on Sanral's willingness to buy land for the occupiers.

Furthermore, the Macassar Interchange Project has never been stopped and is continuing. 

These are the facts.

It is absolutely unacceptable for Sanral to pass the buck on this matter.

Statement issued by Councillor Siyabulela Mamkeli, Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements, City of Cape Town, June 3 2014

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