Pretoria - A black landowner obtained an urgent court order - with the assistance of AfriForum - against a group of people who illegally invaded his farm near Soshanguve.
The Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, on Friday afternoon ordered that the group had to immediately vacate the property of Dr Motodi Maserumule.
The farm, which existed of various portions, is registered in the name of Akubra Trading Ltd, a company which belong to Maserumule and two of his business partners.
He said while only a few people were spotted on his farm on Monday, the group grew throughout the week. Maserumule said by Thursday there were more than a hundred illegal land grabbers.
He turned to court urgently as he feared that more people would have moved onto the property over the weekend.
Members of the Soshanguve police station was ordered to assist with the removal of the land grabbers.
They were also ordered to remove the structures which were already erected on the property.
Maserumule said he was told by a friend on Monday, who travelled past the farm, that he noticed a group gathering on the property for an illegal land invasion.
“I went there and encountered a small group. There was also a single corrugated iron structure erected. This was used as an office to unlawfully ‘sell’ portions to the trespassers.”
Maserumule said the group was extremely aggressive towards him and even threatened him. At the time there were about 15 people and they were clearly preparing to settle in.
“I went to the Soshanguve police station to lay a charge of trespassing. The police refused to accept the complaint.”
“One of my neighbours suggested that I contact AfriForum. With their help, I eventually managed to lay a charge of trespassing. The civil organisation was a godsend.”
Maserumule said the number of land invaders grew during the week, as did the number of structures which were being erected.
No one had yet taken occupation of the structures, but Maserumule said he feared this would happen over the weekend if the court did not step in.
Armed with his court order, he said this week was “an absolute nightmare, to put it mildly.”