Members of the Public Order Policing (POP) unit were forced to retreat after being overpowered by an angry mob of land invaders at a farm near Mataffin, Mbombela in Mpumalanga yesterday (August 7).

A video circulating on social media shows officers in a tense standoff with community members before pulling back as hostility escalates.

‘Kill me! We have nothing’ protester yells

In the footage, a man from the crowd can be heard shouting: “Kill me, kill me! It’s all the same! We have nothing. We are very poor. We need this land because it is unoccupied. We want to build houses for our families.”

The confrontation quickly intensified, with some community members allegedly attacking the police. Officers fired rubber bullets and used stun grenades to disperse the crowd.

Police were reportedly enforcing a court order to halt the unlawful occupation of the land.

Police were responding to a kidnapping incident

Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brigadier Donald Mdhluli confirmed that officers retreated when the situation became too confrontational. He said they had also been responding to reports of two men being kidnapped by protesters.

“The members of the SAPS from POP responded to an incident of kidnapping during the execution of a court order. They were informed about two male persons kidnapped by some protesters during the execution of the order,” explained Mdhluli.

“There was a confrontation by some members of the public during the incident. Rubber bullets were reportedly fired by members, along with stun grenades. Police managed to rescue the two victims,” he added.

Cases of land invasion and kidnapping are being investigated. No arrests have been made.

Mpumalanga SAPS confirms cases opened against police

Unconfirmed reports suggest an elderly woman and a child were injured during the scuffle. While Mdhluli would not confirm the injuries, he said certain cases had been opened against the police.

“All cases opened against members of the police during the said incident will be investigated accordingly, depending on the outcome, whilst police await the outcome from the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID),” he said.

Mdhluli stressed that it is standard procedure to report such cases to IPID and added police sometimes retreat for safety reasons and to regroup. He added that live ammunition is only used as a last resort for self-defence.

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DA says land invasion calls for urgent action

The DA’s spokesperson on community safety, security, and liaison in the Mpumalanga Legislature, Teboho Sekaledi, condemned the land grabs, calling them ‘deeply troubling’.

“It is unacceptable that despite a court order against the unlawful invasion, SAPS Mbombela has been unable to enforce it. Officers were seen retreating as they failed to maintain public order and uphold the court’s decision,” said Sekaledi.

He said the DA had previously tabled a motion in the Legislature calling for urgent action. The motion requested that MEC Jackie Macie escalate the matter to the national Minister of Police within 24 hours to ensure coordinated enforcement, including adequate POP deployments as per Standing Order 262. It also called for a report on the enforcement plan, timelines, and safeguards within seven days.

West Acres residents are concerned

Earlier, Lowvelder reported concerns from residents of Marina and Cussons streets in West Acres over ongoing land invasions adjacent to their homes.

The invasions involve sections of Eligedleni Farm, where members of the Mataffin community have been occupying land for several weeks. Trees have been cut down and makeshift roads cleared, seemingly in preparation for housing.

Residents have held meetings to seek solutions, fearing the occupation could harm property values and threaten community safety.

As the dispute drags on, the conflict remains unresolved, with the matter still tied up in court.

* This article has been amended