Cape Town - While responding to an illegal land invasion in Mfuleni on Thursday, City of Cape Town law enforcement officers were attacked by those invading the land.
Vehicles and officers were stoned, with an officer hospitalised due to serious injuries.
Mayor Dan Plato said that the land invasion was supported by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), who have also joined the South African Human Rights Commission’s (SAHRC) court case, which seeks to interdict the City from conducting any and all anti-land invasion operations.
"The SAHRC is further asking the court to void all existing court orders protecting specific sites from invasion.
"In a separate court case brought by land invaders in Hangberg this week, the judge ruled that an illegally built structure which had been demolished must be rebuilt on city-owned land. This is despite two alternatives being offered by the City.
"A sports facility was planned for the invaded site, but the growth of structures now jeopardises this community development opportunity. In Wallacedene this week, residents watched as play equipment was uprooted in a children’s play park by land invaders who have built illegal structures on the land," Plato said.
"The City’s logsheets on land invasions show we are currently facing eight or more illegal land invasions a day across the metro, stretching our resources to the limit."
Plato said it is clear many thousands of law-abiding residents are silently bearing the severe impact of land invasions due to the unlawful actions of a relatively small group of people.
"My message to the overwhelming majority of law-abiding residents is this: Rest assured that the City will keep standing up for you.
"I pray for the speedy recovery of our law enforcement officers who sustained serious injuries, including a broken leg and serious head wounds, and I pray that our residents will respect the rule of law and stand up against those who seek to destroy our communities."