JOHANNESBURG - AfriBusiness, the non-profit business rights watchdog, on Friday said it had obtained three final court orders to prevent trespassing in areas in Pienaarspoort and Bronkhorstspruit.
AfriBusiness said the court also ordered the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Tshwane Metro Police to assist land owners. The judge also awarded a cost order in favour of AfriBusiness and the land owners.
AfriBusiness said this success arose from three urgent interdicts with which AfriBusiness assisted land owners in these areas in the past 12 months. Manager of the Labour Law Advice Unit at AfriBusiness, Charles Castle, said: "We are satisfied that the SAPS and the Metro Police are being held accountable for the costs. The state opposed all three the applications because they are of the opinion that it is invalid.
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"The judge's ruling entails that the state in future would struggle to be victorious in similar cases. AfriBusiness is also considering a civil claim against the state after proper consultation with our legal team."
On its website Afribusiness says it was established in 2011 "to appeal to the Afrikaans community in the business world to take part in the public debate and to act as spokesperson for the Afrikaans business community".
"Land owners must continue to resist ungrounded land grabs and follow the correct procedures to ensure that their property rights are effectively protected," says Armand Greyling, law and policy analyst at AfriBusiness.