Cape Town - There has been a spike in the illegal occupation of private land in Cape Town, a mayoral committee member said on Thursday.
Human settlements councillor Tandeka Gqada said the occupation of the Marikana site in the city earlier this week, and other areas, seemed to be part of a co-ordinated effort to “make the city ungovernable”.
“The City is aware, through our law enforcement and other agencies, that information is being provided to groups of people regarding the location of vacant land which they can attempt to illegally occupy,” she said.
“Privately owned land, in particular, appears to have been targeted in a systematic fashion.”
The city said the housing problem should be solved within the confines of the law, to ensure a just and equitable process.
“Whilst we are deeply sympathetic to the plight of residents currently without access to formal housing, we have a duty to protect the rights of the hundreds of thousands of people who have gone through the correct channels in order to be provided with a housing opportunity by the City.”
Last week the City demolished shacks erected at the Marikana site in Philippi East, where the land had been set aside for other purposes. - Sapa