Cape Town - A tense stand-off between law enforcement agencies and residents - who invaded several sites around the city - has played itself out after the past week.
At the weekend some residents barricaded roads along Govan Mbeki and Symphony Way with burning objects, while others put up shacks in open fields.
Police responded with stun grenades and rubber bullets to disperse the crowds.
Executive director for Safety and Security in the City of Cape Town Richard Bosman said they had responded to several sustained and coordinated land invasions since Wednesday.
Cleaners clear building materials from an attempted land invasion on a field alongside Govan Mbeki Drive. Video: Okuhle Hlati/Cape Argus
“City enforcement services have been assisting the police with preventing these invasions. There were at least three affected areas in Philippi: Jakes
Gerwel Drive, the R300, and areas adjacent to Siqalo informal settlement.”
Residents involved in the occupation on NY1 and Govan Mbeki said people were taking the land “by force” because they had nowhere else to go. They said they could not understand why officials refused to allow them to occupy the land.
Nkosiyazi Siswana said he occupied the land because the City was not building houses for them and rent was expensive.
“I cannot afford R800 rent while I’m earning peanuts. As backyarders, places we are renting are also small and we have big families. In some cases landlords give us only given a week to find a new place to stay - they have no mercy,” Siswana said.
When Pamela Mbana, 31, went to paint her shack, it was nowhere to be found.
Cleaners clear building materials from an attempted land invasion on a field alongside Govan Mbeki Drive. Video: Okuhle Hlati/Cape Argus
“I am furious that my shack was demolished because no one from the City came to inform us that we are illegally occupying the land.
"I came back to paint my shack and place furniture inside it, but it was not here and my stove, which was inside, is also gone,” Mbana said.
Mbana, who is unemployed, lived at her aunt’s house with her three children. Her aunt asked her to find a new place as she would be renovating her house.
“Where must I go? They can destroy our shacks today, but we will rebuild them. If the government cannot provide us with houses then we must build our own houses. I’m only surviving with my children’s grant money and cannot afford to rent.”
Golden Arrow Bus services said: "Unrest in the area is unfortunately ongoing and at times it is impossible for our buses to leave or enter the depots.
"We have therefore been using alternative sleep outs and staging areas over the weekend, but this is not ideal as it still causes delays and a number of other issues.
"We are engaging with law enforcement and hope that the situation will be stabilised as soon as possible. We are grateful for people's patience and would like to assure them that we are doing everything that we can from our side.”