This weekend, despite court orders by Buffalo City Metro and private developer Slip-Knot Investments 777, people continued to invade and demarcate themselves prime sites along the R72 and next to the road that leads to Cove Rock Estate and dairy farms.
The Saturday Dispatch reported how hundreds of people were seen on private farms, including farm 924, armed with axes, shovels and picks, allocating plots.
This happened as shocked landowners stood nearby, watching the invaders defying the Constitution, the law and the court orders forbidding them from doing so.
One of the developers, who said his land was selling for “millions of rands” lamented that the land grab had affected a deal that was going to be finalised before June.
“A buyer called from Johannesburg when he read about this, asking if his land was invaded and I had to tell him that we hoped it would be under control…he sounded worried,” said the investor, who wanted to remain anonymous.
Rodney Knobel of Knobel Estates, who is developing an upmarket housing estate just a kilometre away from the land invasion, said those who were illegally taking land were “jumping the gun”.
“To get land without compensation would need a change to the Constitution to accommodate that – it’s premature for people to just do that. This will damage the economy of our country. People can’t just jump the gun and start taking other people’s land,” he said.
The Slip Knot company, which owns the adjacent farm 923, formally known as Collondale Canneries – a substantial tract of land in the area – put security guards around the land to protect it and “give all those who illegally occupy their land copies of a court order they’ve obtained over the weekend”.
The Daily Dispatch team saw copies of the East London High Court Order attached to electricity poles and tree branches for all to see.
The court order was addressed to “all persons whose full names are unknown unlawfully demarcating, allocating plots, trespassing and or building structures on portion 1 or 2 of farm 923 East London, known as the old Collondale Canaries premises.”
The court ordered that the sheriff demolish any structure illegally built on the land.
The company also erected a fence around the property, much to the dismay of those demarcating plots for themselves.
“We can’t be prevented from owning this land while companies like these own vast tracts. When we are allocating ourselves land they start to put a fence around. Aren’t they invading this land themselves? We need equality,” said a man who preferred to be known as Mr Mboniswa.
The Dispatch contacted the Slip Knot Investments group but the director, Rhett Shaw, declined to comment.
Since last Monday, thousands of people have invaded farms and privately owned land in the area.
Law enforcement agencies were seen on the scene but did not remove anyone as “no structures” had been erected. The only structure built on Friday was demolished on Saturday but it was not clear if this was carried out by law enforcement officers.
The DA in BCM said they supported a comprehensive land reform programme that was done responsibly and “in an orderly manner”.
“The Constitution and legislation make provision for the restitution of land as well as providing a process for ensuring that this is equitable to all concerned,” said MP Kevin Mileham, constituency leader of BCM coastal.
BCM erected two signboards on Farm 924 yesterday. Signed by municipal manager Andile Sihlahla, they read: “The sheriff of the court, with the assistance of the BCM police and/or South African Police Services, is empowered by this order of the court to take all necessary and reasonable steps to dismantle or demolish any structure erected on this property in contravention of the court order.” — bonganif@dispatch.co.za
lSee page 5 for another report on a land dispute
No end in sight to land grab eruption
The Saturday Dispatch reported how hundreds of people were seen on private farms, including farm 924, armed with axes, shovels and picks, allocating plots.
This happened as shocked landowners stood nearby, watching the invaders defying the Constitution, the law and the court orders forbidding them from doing so.
One of the developers, who said his land was selling for “millions of rands” lamented that the land grab had affected a deal that was going to be finalised before June.
“A buyer called from Johannesburg when he read about this, asking if his land was invaded and I had to tell him that we hoped it would be under control…he sounded worried,” said the investor, who wanted to remain anonymous.
Rodney Knobel of Knobel Estates, who is developing an upmarket housing estate just a kilometre away from the land invasion, said those who were illegally taking land were “jumping the gun”.
“To get land without compensation would need a change to the Constitution to accommodate that – it’s premature for people to just do that. This will damage the economy of our country. People can’t just jump the gun and start taking other people’s land,” he said.
The Slip Knot company, which owns the adjacent farm 923, formally known as Collondale Canneries – a substantial tract of land in the area – put security guards around the land to protect it and “give all those who illegally occupy their land copies of a court order they’ve obtained over the weekend”.
The Daily Dispatch team saw copies of the East London High Court Order attached to electricity poles and tree branches for all to see.
The court order was addressed to “all persons whose full names are unknown unlawfully demarcating, allocating plots, trespassing and or building structures on portion 1 or 2 of farm 923 East London, known as the old Collondale Canaries premises.”
The court ordered that the sheriff demolish any structure illegally built on the land.
The company also erected a fence around the property, much to the dismay of those demarcating plots for themselves.
“We can’t be prevented from owning this land while companies like these own vast tracts. When we are allocating ourselves land they start to put a fence around. Aren’t they invading this land themselves? We need equality,” said a man who preferred to be known as Mr Mboniswa.
The Dispatch contacted the Slip Knot Investments group but the director, Rhett Shaw, declined to comment.
Since last Monday, thousands of people have invaded farms and privately owned land in the area.
Law enforcement agencies were seen on the scene but did not remove anyone as “no structures” had been erected. The only structure built on Friday was demolished on Saturday but it was not clear if this was carried out by law enforcement officers.
The DA in BCM said they supported a comprehensive land reform programme that was done responsibly and “in an orderly manner”.
“The Constitution and legislation make provision for the restitution of land as well as providing a process for ensuring that this is equitable to all concerned,” said MP Kevin Mileham, constituency leader of BCM coastal.
BCM erected two signboards on Farm 924 yesterday. Signed by municipal manager Andile Sihlahla, they read: “The sheriff of the court, with the assistance of the BCM police and/or South African Police Services, is empowered by this order of the court to take all necessary and reasonable steps to dismantle or demolish any structure erected on this property in contravention of the court order.” — bonganif@dispatch.co.za
lSee page 5 for another report on a land dispute
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