Land invasions spike but there are no evictions

15 April 2020  

Since the national lockdown started on 26 March 2020, including over Easter Weekend, there have been at least 16 known attempted land invasions in total, where illegally erected and unoccupied structures have been removed by the City of Cape Town. Not a single eviction has taken place.

I note some statements by populist political parties and organisations condemning the City of Cape Town and other metros’ response to preventing illegal land invasions. I was onsite over the weekend, threatened with violence and even kicked by an angry mob. So I am intimately aware of the situation on the ground. There has been a spike in land invasions in the first few months of this year compared to the corresponding time last year. Another trend that has been visible, is the level of violence perpetrated by members of the public during some of the operations.

We must be very clear about the following:

- The City is not evicting anyone

- In Khayelitsha specifically, the City continues to remove illegally erected unoccupied structures in accordance with an interdict that prohibits people from building on the land in question. There have been no evictions. The law must follow its course as it pertains to any further legal actions in this regard

- Only unoccupied and incomplete structures are being removed

- The City will continue to prevent as many invasions as possible: Just look at how difficult it is to access certain informal settlements and provide services because they were established illegally, with no planning, no access and provision for health, emergency and basic services, and often on privately-owned land

- The City simply cannot on its own deal with the mass urbanisation, housing crisis and macro economic conditions that exist in South Africa

- The COVID-19 pandemic cannot be used to justify lawlessness and unlawful behaviour

- Especially now, when the City is starting on the implementation path of its COVID-19 response to assist residents in existing informal settlements, it will be operating at capacity. So the City cannot afford new land invasions as these will directly impact on the crisis response at the moment

The illegal occupation of vacant land during this period may have dire consequences. These illegal settlements have no access to services, which is a great concern because of the serious health and hygiene, fire, flood and safety risks. The City does not have the capacity to manage unplanned and unbudgeted settlements at the expense of existing settlements. We can see the effects of illegal invasions in pockets across the metro and especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. This also has a detrimental effect on the City’s mandate to provide housing to its most vulnerable residents and rightful beneficiaries.

After such an illegal invasion and illegal occupation of the City’s land or private land, the City’s resources are further placed under pressure due to the subsequent demand for services which sometimes go hand in hand with violent protests and the destruction of City assets which places even more pressure on the City’s resources. Surely this cannot be acceptable to the residents of Cape Town who await their opportunity or to those paying their monthly rates and taxes.

Issued by Malusi Booi, Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements, City of Cape Town, 15 April 2020