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KNYSNA NEWS - Should we stay or should we go? This is only one of the questions that many a resident on the Groenvallei Dune in Sedgefield is asking, following the announcement that the municipality will be attaining a High Court interdict to prevent land invasions in the area.
Knysna Municipality acting municipal manager Dr Michelle Gratz announced last week that the municipality had approached the high court to obtain an interdict against what they deem to be "land invasions" along the Groenvallei Dune in Smutsville and Sizamile, Sedgefield.
At the time of the announcement, it was unclear whether the interdict would cause the removal of residents on the dune, or whether it would merely prevent further "invasions", according to confused resident Fregen Galant.
"We had no idea what the municipality was trying to say, we weren't sure if they were planning on evicting us [residents of the dune] or if they wanted to stop more people from coming," Galant said.
Municipal spokesperson Christopher Bezuidenhout has since provided clarity on the issue, stating the court action was "to prevent further invasions of the dune". But, before one travels further down the pothole-ridden yellow brick road that leads to the problem that is settlements on the Groenvallei Dune, one has to understand how the issue came about in the first place.
How it all started
Smutsville and Sizamile are wedged into a small area between two dunes on Segdefield's eastern edge, isolating them from the rest of the town. The area was initially inhabited by a few families in what has now become known as the "Ou Gebied" (Old Section) and as these families grew, it expanded to the "Nuwe Gebied" (New Section). From there the people started moving further back, east, towards where the sewage treatment works now lie.
This led to the start of the problem, as outsiders (many from the Eastern Cape) began moving to the area as well and settling at the back of Smutsville in what would soon become known as Sizamile.
This community also grew fast, and with Sizamile growing forward and Smutsville growing backward, the two eventually "collided", leaving no more room to grow.
They were left with two options: grow south, up the Cola Beach dune, or north up the Groenvallei dune.
The growing issue
With the knowledge that the Cola Beach dune was a protected area, they could only take the option of the Groenvallei Dune. But this posed problems too as it was municipal ground. Residents soon became restless, and despite strong opposition from the municipality, began settling on the dune. This was the start of the first Groenvallei settlement known as "Slangepark". From there, no matter how much the municipality tried to intervene, people continued to build and settle on the dune.
The settlements would keep moving further up the dune as well as westward, towards town.
Over the years, this eventually led to a total of six settlements on the dune, with over 900 families occupying the area.
Residents then brought the number down from six to the current four – Slangepark, Makaphela, Beverley Hills and Lankgewag – when NGO Development Action Group started conducting work in the area to number the houses in the settlements.
The latest settlements
The newest settlement is Lankgewag, and is one of the two that is causing an issue with other Sedgefield residents. They have been complaining that Lankgewag and Slangepark that have gone over the crest of the dune are an eyesore, that the settlements taint the view and in turn depreciate the value of their properties.
This is partly what led to the Red Ants visiting the area last year June when they broke down 18 structures that were "unoccupied" according to the municipality.
Undeterred, dune residents proceeded to build and rebuild until the issue was brought back into the spotlight with the municipality's announcement last week.
Conflicting sentiments
Dune residents have raised a number of questions in community meetings according to Galant, one of which being why the municipality has provided residents along the dune with toilets and electricity if they don't want them to stay there.
According to Bezuidenhout, the municipality provided ablution facilities and electricity "to about 600 approved households on the edges of the dune" as "the municipality has an obligation to provide basic services to the community and the provision of services are in line with that principle".
The municipality also has on numerous occasions reiterated that they deem the dune to be unsafe for human habitation, but Galant isn't so sure.
"If there are other houses and structures such as a reservoir on the dune that are bigger and heavier than our structures, how could ours cause a problem?" he questioned. Bezuidenhout however stated that careful consideration was taken when these were built, while stating that "when informal houses are built very little consideration is given to the ground condition and construction methods used".
But according to Galant, they believe they carry out their building practices in a responsible manner as they level out and compact any ground on which they build, and also don't insert their structural poles deep enough to destabilise the soil.
The way forward
The municipality currently has three sites approved on which 305 RDP units will be built, pending an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) approval.
The community on the other hand is asking for land instead, saying they can build houses themselves – all they need is land on which to do so.
Related articles:
- Muni prepares to boot dune settlers
- Settlers rebuilding after Red Ants intervention
- 'Housing: Don't invade, rather engage'
- War zone, as quiet community erupts
- We have waited long enough
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