When a country’s military brings squatters, in the broadest sense of the word, to the attention of Parliament by way of a presentation to a defence oversight committee it has to be time for action.
That inference comes in the wake of a presentation by Department of Defence Logistics Chief, Vice Admiral David Mkhonto, to the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans (PCDMV) in late May.
In his introductory remarks the former SA Navy (SAN) Flag Officer Fleet (FOF) noted the encroachment of illegal settlements on military bases is a significant issue and poses serious challenges to national security, operational readiness and the safety of both military personnel and civilians.
Proliferation of squatter colonies and informal settlements is a problem the SANDF is not immune to. He cited “social issues” including theft and crime as well as public health concerns, “constraining” military exercises and training, and finally, security risks. Informal settlements, the two-star said, may harbour individuals or groups “that pose a security threat to the base, for example criminals, insurgents or spies”.
“The close proximity of informal housing can limit the military ability to monitor and secure its perimeter effectively. In some areas informal settlements encroach near or directly into military property leading into security breaches and vandalism,” as per his presentation.
Mkhonto’s presentation lists and provides some detail on what he terms “encroachment” on SA National Defence Force (SANDF) bases and facilities of which seven are in Gauteng starting with Defence Headquarters in the Armscor Building. The building is also home to the Department of Defence (DoD) and the Defence and Military Veterans ministry, not to mention the defence and security procurement and project management agency which owns the building and has named it accordingly.
Next up is the headquarters of the SA Military Health Service (SAMHS) some two kilometres to the east. These are in reasonably close proximity to the Wolwespruit informal settlement to make it onto Mkhonto’s list. Mkhonto cites “continuous theft of electrical cables, IT equipment, and other items” as well as “cutting or removing of perimeter fencing” as issues affecting Defence and SAMHS Headquarters.
Other Gauteng military bases and facilities where people have settled illegally are Marievale on the East Rand, home to some SA Army Engineer Formation units; the DoD Works Formation training school, east of Armscor’s Gerotek test facility; 43 SA Brigade of the SA Army at Wallmannsthal as well as what Mkhonto’s presentation states is “Wallmannsthal, Gauteng”.
For Marievale, the informal settlement there has relocated inside the unit boundaries, with a lack of perimeter fencing presenting security risks. There is continuous theft of vehicle parts, electric cables, office equipment, and other items. Undocumented people are living inside the base, and within one unit, “one of the members owns a kraal of goats and cows.”
An eviction order was granted for Marievale on 30 January this year, but only partly executed as the Ekurhuleni Municipality was unable to provide alternative accommodation as ordered by the court.
At the Defence Works training school, an informal settlement is “rapidly increasing” towards the main gate, while there is theft of perimeter fencing and security lights as well as illegal electricity connections and theft of military vehicle parts and fitting and turning machine parts.
The Wallmannsthal area was subject to a land restitution claim that was settled in 2002 with the result that an informal settlement is “rapidly increasing” close to the perimeter fence, which is regularly cut. Vehicle parts, cables and scrap metal are often stolen, while water is illegally rerouted to the informal settlement. The Logistics Division has engaged the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure and the Regional Land Claims commissioner for assistance but “no substantive support” has been received to date.
Lenz military base, south of Johannesburg and former home to 21 SA Infantry (SAI) Battalion, is also seen as being encroached on by people erecting illegal housing. The infantry battalion relocated to Doornkop, adjacent to Soweto, in 1991. The base lacks a perimeter fence, leading to the theft of vehicle parts, cables, office equipment and other items.
Another Gauteng military facility – the Special Forces training school in Murrayhill, Pretoria North – doesn’t make it on Mkhonto’s list despite this publication reporting three years ago it was “under threat from encroaching populations” according to then acting PCDMV chair Thabo Mmutle.
In the Western Cape province the SA Navy (SAN) supply depot at Wingfield and Tamboerskloof are listed as facing potential “encroachment” threats. Open source intelligence has it Tamboerskloof was a military facility during World War II and is now a community farm. In May 2023 an instruction was given to the State Attorney to institute eviction proceedings in the Cape Town High Court, but the process has not yet been concluded.
Northern Cape province is home to three SANDF facilities where “encroachment” is potentially problematic. They are the 150 000 hectare SA Army Combat Training Centre (CTC) at Lohathla; 93 Ammunition Depot and its Duncan demolition range, and the Gathlose nature reserve in Ga-Segonyana local municipality. At 93 Ammunition Depot (Jan Kempdorp), an informal settlement is approaching the unit, and there is cutting or removal of fencing and security lights as well as theft of vehicle parts and scrap metals.
At the Duncan demolition range, “illegal mining” by Batho Pele Mining Company was discovered in May 2024 after the Department of Minerals, Resources and Energy granted a permit to mine in military land. Mining activity was subsequently suspended, and the matter is with the Department of Defence’s legal division.
Another base where illegal residents were a problem was Makhanda headquartered 6 SAI where a person was killed in 2018 after picking up an unexploded mortar, reportedly to sell as scrap. This incident, along with Special Forces training school “encroachment” was raised by Freedom Front Plus (FF+) Member of Parliament Pieter Groenewald (now Correctional Services Minister), in a September 2022 Parliamentary debate on revising regulations protecting military areas against trespassing.
Concluding, Mkhonto gave the PCDMV a call to action saying “working together, we can find solutions that address the challenges posed by informal settlements encroaching on military bases”.
