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