Interdict granted against EFF land invaders

The Durban High Court on Thursday, May 7 granted a final interdict to the owners of Greenlands Farm, outside Ballito, against EFF members who staged an illegal land grab there on April 12.

EFF provincial member of land affairs Thobias Mthiyane, convener Ndumiso Vilakazi and coordinator Lindani Mthembu are under no circumstances allowed on the property and the same applies to anyone who does not have permission to do so.

The land is owned by a consortium of North Coast residents and is earmarked for commercial and residential development.

Legal occupant Ian Deetlefs and shareholder Ricky Pissarra obtained a draft interdict in an emergency court hearing on Monday, April 13 against the land expropriators, who had until May 7 to appeal the interdict.

On Sunday morning, April 12, a group of EFF members, lead by Mthiyane, invaded Greenlands Farm, saying they were taking back the land that Jan van Riebeeck stole from them in 1652.

A shack went up overnight and about 30 people arrived the next morning to start building their new homes. The crowd was dispersed by the Umhlali SAPS and they left only to regroup a few hundred metres away while the shack was being demolished.

By about 1pm the group headed for the N2 highway and police were called back because they were reportedly throwing stones and disrupting traffic.

One person was killed and three seriously injured when a northbound bakkie ploughed into them. The EFF organisers denied reponsibility for the loss of life and accused the land owners of plotting to kill them.