Land Invasion - Cape Town warns on land invasions

Land Invasion Cape Town warns on land invasions
2011-05-16 22:40


Cape Town - Land invasions in Mitchell's Plain could delay the provision of formal housing in the area, Cape Town authorities warned on Monday.

"Portions of land in the Kapteinsklip and Swartklip areas, which were invaded over the weekend, are earmarked for formal housing," the city said in a statement.

The statement follows two days of clashes between police and about 150 so-called backyard dwellers, who had built shacks on the land, and reacted violently to attempts to remove the structures.

According to media reports, 18 people, including six police officers, have been injured in the violence. Police reacted by firing rubber bullets and using a water cannon after being pelted with stones.

The city said while it was sympathetic to the fact that some people had been waiting a long time for housing, and were impatient, it could not allow them to illegally occupy vacant land, or build structures.

"The city has plans for formal houses in the Kapteinsklip area. Unfortunately this will take time, as roads, water, electricity and sanitation have to be put in first.

"People will be allocated housing according to the official housing waiting list. This will ensure that people cannot jump the queue. Invading land will not result in being given preference over someone else on the waiting list."

It further warned that if people continued to attempt to occupy the land and erect illegal structures, the city would consider approaching the High Court for an eviction order and to break the structures down.

"It will also ask the court to grant an interdict to stop any further structures and unlawful occupation. This is being done to safeguard land, ensure proper planning and provision of services, as well as to ensure fairness to all who have waited for houses for a long time."

According to the statement, the SA Police Service and city law enforcement agencies were monitoring and assessing the situation on Monday, after the weekend clashes.

"The SAPS is in command, with city staff playing a supporting role," it said.


- SAPA

Read more on: crime | housing

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SATURDAY 14 OCTOBER 2006

Zimbabwe-style Land Invasion happens in S.Africa!
Date Posted: Saturday 14-Oct-2006
Our Govt has been saying for years that Zimbabwe-style land invasions would never happen here because it would be done legally. Of course that does not mean our farmers won't be CHEATED out of their land. They will be. The Govt has already abandoned the "willing buyer, willing seller principle". So already, inch by inch, we're following the same path as Zimbabwe where the farmers just get a rawer deal as time goes by.

However it is true that MASS land invasions Zimbabwe-style have not happened - not yet anyway. Maybe when Jacob Zuma becomes our President they will.

Some years back, 40,000 blacks did invade a farm here in S.Africa. To my knowledge they never got rid of them.

But the other day, we were treated to another impromptu, Zimbabwe-style land invasion. This one has a very murky background - with some shades of Zimbabwe. In Zimbabwe the so-called "War Veterans" were the main culprits in the land invasions (or so Mugabe claimed).

In KwaZulu-Natal, we were treated to a land invasion by "former MK soldiers" and former IFP troops. The IFP are supposedly pro-Western. But all these "former soldiers" say they invaded this farm because they want to be integrated into the South African Defence Force! Huh?

Well, the Govt says that former MK (ANC Armed wing) soldiers had been integrated into the SANDF years ago and there was no further integration going on.

In the news report it is claimed that 350 of this group were arrested because they were sneaking into Mozambique in order to get military training!?!?

The news report did not mention exactly how many had invaded this white farm, but the white farm manager had decided to flee because he felt his life was in danger.

This story sounds strange and disjointed and to me it makes no sense. They want to join the army so they invade a white man's farm? And what's all this talk of military training? Do these guys want to start a war... against whom?? Lots of unanswered and strange questions here... This bizarre one will be worth watching. I am curious to see what now happens on this farm and whether our crime-loving, farm-murder-loving Govt will actually do anything about them.

The following TvNews footage is from eTV.

Here we see that they settled on this farm in Pongola, in KwaZulu-Natal.


( African Crisis )