Two land invaders appear in court for public violence

TWO community leaders from Ethembeni Informal Settlement in Harare appeared in the Khayelitsha Magistrate’s Court yesterday, after a group of residents clashed with the City’s law enforcement officers on Tuesday.

One of the leaders, Riaan Koeberg, said the arrested leaders included Bulelani Qolani, whom law enforcement officers dragged naked from a shack in July last year, and Alex Madikane.

Koeberg said the officers approached them while they were trying to assist a family whose home had burnt down earlier this week. He said the officers thought they were rebuilding new homes (shacks) and shot at them.

Koeberg said four of the residents were rushed to hospital with gunshot wounds.

Police spokesperson FC van Wyk said law enforcement officers arrested two suspects, aged 28 and 47, on charges of public viol ence, on the corner of Baden Powell Drive and Mew Way.

He said it was alleged that the residents were illegally erecting shacks on an open field, and that when the officers demolished them, the residents became riotous, which resulted in two of them being arrested.

The City said the officers acted within the law to prevent the unlawful occupation of land, and it condemned the attacks on staff performing their duties.

Residents also opened a case in which they claimed the officers shot at them and demolished their shacks.

Van Wyk confirmed that the police were also investigating a case of malicious damage to property.

He said the case was registered against the officers after they allegedly destroyed the shack of a woman when they were evicting illegal residents.

Human Settlements MEC Tertuis Simmers said in the past three weeks, incidents of land invasions of stateowned properties had been fewer than 10 a week.

He said in the first week there were eight attempts, in the second, two, and in the third, nine.

Simmers said there were 26 attempts, which occurred in the Cape Metro. There were none in the nonmetro municipal areas. He said there were 49 attempts last month.

Simmers said that from July last year to date there had been 1 305 attempted land invasions across the Western Cape.