Land invasions
Just over 1,000 land occupation attempts in past 9 months in WC - dept
The department said that the majority of these occurred in Cape Town, between July last year to the second week of April in 2021.
On Tuesday, National Council of Provinces members met with officials from the municipality, provincial Treasury and Cooperative Governance Department.
The City of Cape Town said that the expenditure on security for land invasions was justified.
No wealth is worth excluding millions of citizens from their natural right to land, writes Yonela Diko.
Over the past three months, the city has seen a sharp increase in illegal land invasions and has recorded 115 protests.
Last week, the Western Cape High Court ruled that the city can't evict anyone or demolish dwellings without a court order while the state of disaster is in place.
Already struggling to gain access to a decent home or land, many vulnerable South Africans have been badly hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.
There've been demonstrations in various areas, including Khayelitsha, Kraaifontein and Mfuleni. Between 11 July and 5 August, municipal law enforcement recorded 91 protests. There were only 38 between April and June.
Residents have been erecting structures on private property near the Tygerberg raceway for the past few weeks.
While many communities are fighting for housing and service delivery, 'shack farming' involves individuals erecting several shacks on illegally occupied land with the intention of either selling or renting the structures.
Over the past few days, violent protests have erupted in various communities including Khayelitsha, Kraaifontein and Mfuleni, most of them are over land invasions and evictions.
On Monday, Makhubo visited Lawley, south of Johannesburg, after over 80 shacks were destroyed by the Red Ants last week.
The community won a reprieve against removal in court last week after the city twice dismantled their shacks.
This comes after the department wanted to get a court order which would give police permission to evict people.
A group of residents said to be spearheading land invasions in the south of the city was summoned to appear in court on Tuesday.
Gauteng Human Settlements MEC Lebogang Maile on Tuesday said illegal land occupation in the south of Johannesburg has spiraled out of control.
Three months ago, it reached boiling point in Lenasia, south of Johannesburg, when police and residents clashed when officers tried to evict people.
Gauteng Human Settlements MEC Lebogang Maile is expected to meet Johannesburg Mayor Herman Mashaba to discuss a range of issues, including the latest clashes over land invasions in Lenasia south.
Johannesburg Mayor Herman Mashaba’s spokesperson Luyanda Mfeka said the situation was getting out of control and that tensions in the area were escalating to the point where it is only a matter of time until someone was seriously hurt or killed.