Staff Writer
FOUR residents from Marikana in Philippi were arrested after their shacks were torn down again yesterday following more violent clashes with police.
The city’s law enforcement unit, metro police and SAPS Public Order Police Unit moved the crowd while contractors demolished shacks on privately-owned land off Symphony Way.
A confrontation erupted between SAPS and residents, who pelted police with stones and glass bottles.
Officers responded with rubber bullets, tear gas and stun grenades.
The Cape Times witnessed the arrest of four people.
Symphony Way was closed to traffic for most of the day.
On Wednesday more than 50 informal homes on the land were demolished by contractors.
Homes had been torn down on Sunday and Monday after the land owner, Oscar Saundors, sought an urgent Western Cape High Court interdict last Friday.
Saundors told the Cape Times previously “a massive land” grab took place in 2006 and since then he had had to apply for court orders and evictions to get people off the land. Saundors has plans to develop the area into a mixed business and industrial area.
City mayco member for safety and security JP Smith said the situation in Philippi was an example of determined efforts to promote the illegal occupation of land for “political objectives”.
Last Thursday, the Constitutional Court upheld the city’s previous eviction of Marikana residents.