Shack lords a threat to economy

Human Settlements MEC Ravi Pillay warned on Tuesday that shack lords are on the rise in KZN.

Last year, the department incurred irregular expenditure of R4,5 million to hire security companies to guard against land invaders in the run-up to the local government elections.

He told the Standing Committee on Public Accounts on Tuesday at the provincial legislature that shack lords were behind the land invasions, which he said targeted mostly state land that had been identified for certain projects.

The committee heard that the invaders arrive in large numbers at several areas, armed with pangas.

The existing residents fear for their lives as the invaders take control of the state’s land and illegally rent out the properties.

Pillay said many projects had faced protests because the shack lords want to remain in control and added that if the project is implemented, the rental they are collecting goes away.

He said rentals for shacks range between R200 to R800 and that the demand for shacks near towns was high.

Pillay said not only building a shack and collecting rent takes place but sites of this nature were also sold up to R8000.

The MEC said an investigation into the alleged irregularities would be completed by UKZN’s Maurice Webb Race Relations Institute by the end of the month.