City condemns land grab threats
The City of Cape Town notes, with condemnation, the threats made regarding city-wide land invasions today, 6 April 2015, by the Ses'Khona People's Rights Movement and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF). The City cannot afford or tolerate land invasions. The City urges residents to be vigilant and to report any such activity to the South African Police Service and the City's Anti-Land Invasion Unit (ALIU).Read more below:
The City is monitoring State- and privately-owned land across the city for possible large-scale land invasion activity based on City intelligence received to this effect and public threats made by organisations such as Ses'Khona and the EFF.
We condemn land invasions and the incitement to invade State- or privately-owned land in the strongest possible terms.
Political instigators should start taking responsibility for the conditions that arise in settlements that are born from invasions. I urge our residents not to be duped by organisations who claim to have their best interests at heart, while in reality they are actually driving a political or financial agenda.
Every city in South Africa acts to protect land from invasion. It is their constitutional duty, but the obligation to protect land from invasion is also borne from practical considerations.
Land invasions result in poor access to City services, constant flooding, high crime rates and poor connections with economic opportunities.
For instance, if land is illegally occupied, the economic and job creation opportunities that would be created if industry could be established there are lost and it condemns these residents to live in areas with little access to jobs and economic opportunities.
Some land invasions, which occur on a small scale and in an ad hoc manner, are borne purely of need - but others we consider to be orchestrated invasions and part of a general trend to invade both public and private land across Cape Town as part of a politically motivated campaign to make the city ungovernable.
Cape Town has the highest urbanisation rate in the country. It is imperative that we uphold a fair and equitable system of delivering and accelerating the provision of housing opportunities and other services to those in need and to our most vulnerable residents. The unplanned proliferation of informal settlements makes this task a great challenge.
The City will continue to uphold the values contained in the South African Constitution. The Constitution entrenches property rights for owners of property, be it private or State-owned property. The Constitution is also the Supreme Law of this country. It promotes respect for the dignity of all, compliance with the Rule of Law at all times, and the prevention of queue-jumping by those who illegally invade land.
Residents should please contact the ALIU on 0800 225 669 if they have any information regarding possible land invasions. The SAPS should also be contacted as they recently developed a standard operating procedure pertaining to land invasions.
The City would like to urge private landowners to be vigilant, to contact the City for advice, and to know the law. Landowners need to act immediately.
If landowners or residents are aware of any other illegal activity, such as political instigation or criminality, they must approach the SAPS to conduct an investigation and for assistance.
Statement issued by Councillor Benedicta van Minnen, Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements, City of Cape Town, April 6 2015
We're building a village. We will ask the government to provide services. @GG2MP @FloydShivambu @Julius_S_Malema pic.twitter.com/vdOZA5Kr4c
— Nazier Paulsen (@Nazier_Paulsen) April 6, 2015
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