Olievenhoutbosch police get more police personnel

The Olievenhoutbosch police have been beefed up with additional manpower to restore law and order in Knoppieslaagte after the area was turned upside down by illegal land grabbers.

Olievenhoutbosch station commander and spokesperson Colonel Adolf Corbett confirmed to Rekord that the police station received additional personnel.

“I can confirm we received manpower to deal with the situation. The area remains tense but calm,” Corbett said.

DA Shadow MEC for Community Safety Crezane Bosch said the deployment of more police in the area will bring much-needed relief to the residents, due to the visibility and public order policing officers amid the recent volatility and violence.

“A court order has been granted to the local community and private landowners, which gives them the mandate to proceed with evictions. The role of the police is to ensure that everyone’s safety is prioritised during the eviction,” said Bosch.

Bosch said her party had consulted with community safety MEC Faith Mazibuko, Tshwane community safety MMC Grandi Theunissen and other stakeholders to assist the Olievenhoutbosch SAPS.

“Additional public order policing and resources have been deployed from across the province to curb crime and ensure the safety of the residents.

“It is through these collaborative efforts that we can work together to ensure that the safety and security of a community are prioritised.”

Theunissen condemned the violence and intimidation that was allegedly taking place in Olievenhoutbosch.

He said there was a lot of finger-pointing between the two parties, adding that as the metro their role was to engage all parties affected.

“We are engaging everyone to determine the way forward. This includes investigating reports that many of the structures that have been built have been unoccupied since.

“I want to call on all parties involved to refrain from intimidation, threats and violence. I also want to appeal to our communities to stop the spread of unverified information which often leads to heightened tensions and unnecessary panic,” said Theunissen.

He called on the Olievenhoutbosch community to engage with the metro and the city’s housing department on issues of service delivery.

The violence erupted in the wake of an eviction in Olievenhoutbosch that was carried out by a private service provider on private property on January 30.

The Johannesburg high court granted farmer Hennie Henrico an eviction order which permitted him to demolish all illegal shacks at his property.

This was after land grabbers had occupied his land back in October of 2022.

Henrico could not be reached for comment by Rekord. At the moment, it is not yet established whether Monday’s eviction was related to his farm or not.

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