Residents occupy land illegally
People were queuing for the measurements of their stands.
UPDATE, 11 APRIL
Mr Thabiso Mofokeng (52), EFF councillor, was re-arrested this morning in Ext 26 after he was released on a warning in Evander Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
His re-arrest came after his earlier arrest with 10 others on Saturday for the illegal occupation of private land.
According to the police, community members gathered in the same area this morning with the intention of illegally occupying land.
Police addressed the parties, but the councillor allegedly incited them to occupy the area.
He was re-arrested and is expected to appear in court soon.
Some of his supporters pledged solidarity and followed him to the police station where they tried to negotiate for his release, but without success.
EFF members said the earlier gathering was not intended for people to invade land, but to get the court’s feedback from Mr Mofokeng.
They claim police officers were spiteful and targeted their leaders.
They said police fired rubber bullets and one car was damaged.
UPDATE, 7 APRIL
Locals are invading land throughout the Govan Mbeki Municipal area.
Earlier today, residents of eMbalenhle invaded land in Extension 26, near the road between Evander and eMbalenhle.
Some locals are already erecting their shacks.
In eMzinoni, about 72 stands have been allocated to locals by the leaders of the land invaders leaders since yesterday.
Reliable sources told the newspaper that the land invasion is perpetuated by the EFF as part of their national call to take land.
Mr Bheki Kubheka, head of Communication and Marketing at thr Govan Mbeki Municipality, said they are aware that the invasion is instigated by the EFF.
He said it is disappointing that some of the people who are promoting this are councillors (EFF ) who are supposed to be leading residents in the right direction.
“At the end this will look as if the municipality is victimising residents.
“Because this will lead to full scale evictions throughout the municipal area.
“We encourage locals to refrain from invading land.”
UPDATE
The land owner’s lawyer apparently informed the residents’ representatives that the land belongs to his client and he also urged them to stop the invasion.
The representatives told residents after the meeting the land should not be invaded because it does not belong to the municipality.
They also mentioned that the land owner’s lawyer added that there was a proposal by the municipality to buy the land for the building of 3 000 RDP houses, but the land has not yet been bought. Some residents stopped the invasion, while others persisted that they will continue to erect their shacks.
Residents’ representatives, most of them wearing EFF t-shirts, urged residents to stop and promised that they will request a meeting with the municipality and the ward councillors to get clarity regarding the alleged 3 000 RDP houses.
Govan Mbeki Municipality’s spokesman could not be reached as both his office phone and cell phone were not answered.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Residents have been occupying vacant land from early this morning.
The owner of the land was said to have opened a case of land invasion with the Leandra police.
A meeting is currently underway between the owner of the land, police and the residents’ representatives.
