Pretoria - The EFF in Tshwane has expressed its support to land-grabbers, who recently made futile attempts to illegally occupy empty plots in Silverlakes and Boschkop.
Party regional leader Moafrika Mabogwana said, although he didn't have first-hand knowledge of the invaders, he wouldn't hesitate to support them.
"I don't have knowledge of those people, but we always encourage people to occupy unoccupied land.
"If they have identified it we will go and support them," he said.
Mabogwana was reacting to a media statement by Sakeliga chief executive Piet le Roux, who claimed that a group of land-grabbers last week targeted several sites around Silverlakes and Boschkop.
He said the group, which claimed they were from the EFF, sought to clear stands on the properties, even naming these future settlements Winnie Mandela View.
Their attempts to seize empty plots were, however, thwarted by swift legal action and co-operation with the police, he said.
Le Roux advised businesses and the public to "guard against increasingly shrewd land invasion tactics by the EFF".
Mabogwana said people wanted to occupy land because they were in need of it.
"Silverlakes is a very beautiful place and if they have identified it we will support them so that they can be closer to work," he said.
Le Roux warned residents, developers, farmers and other land-owners to guard against the alleged land invaders.
He said illegal land occupiers used "scouting procedures to identify unwatched land before they begin erecting permanent structures".
"In this case, invaders first made exploratory incursions onto several different sites in order to test the swiftness of response from owners and law-enforcement.
"Invaders would identify a property, start clearing plants and material, and begin to lay out sites for occupation.
"If owners or law-enforcement offices respond, they move to a different area, until they conclude that a lack of immediate response will afford them time to erect permanent structures," he said.
He said land invaders were mobile and able to operate from the stability of existing accommodation.
"In this case, invaders were able to avoid the heavy rains experienced in the area by leaving and returning to invade property repeatedly over several days," he said.
He advised owners of vacant land to continually monitor land in areas "where there is EFF activity".
Le Roux said Sakeliga would soon apply to join as amicus curiae in the constitutional court case by the EFF against the director of Public Prosecutions Advocate Shamila Batohi and Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Ronald Lamola.
The case essentially revolves around the criminality or of incitement to land invasions and the scope of the crime of trespassing, he said.