IT WAS in fact the government that placed people at Tudor Shaft near Kagiso on the West Rand.

The government erected tents to accommodate people who had been evicted from farms on the West Rand. Some of the people worked on the mines.

Residents have built their homes on a mine dump.

There are mine tailings and people are surrounded by land contaminated by mining activities and radioactive dumps.

But little did the government know that they were paving the way for many other residents, some from other provinces.

Gauteng MEC for local government and housing Humphery Mmemezi said: "It was in August 1995.

"But that was temporary. We erected tents for them so that they could have a place to sleep.

"We later allowed them to put up shacks.

"Tudor Shaft used to be an uranium mine. It is likely that it is not suitable for humans to live in," he said.

He acknowledges that not much is being done to control mushrooming settlements.

However, he said, "We will go on a drive to control informal settlements. We will get the exact number of people in these areas and our councillors will monitor the situation.

"Shacks will be numbered," he said.

Mmemezi said though the West Rand was a mining area, there were no land problems.