Cape Town moves against attempted land invasion on Ndabeni restitution land in Kensington
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City enforcement units and SAPS public order policing were sent to an erf off Voortrekker Road in Kensington on Sunday after about 50 people began putting up structures on Ndabeni Land Trust land despite a court interdict.
The City of Cape Town intervened on Sunday, 1 November, to stop an attempted mass land invasion on Ndabeni Trust land in Kensington, after about 50 people began erecting structures on an erf adjacent to Voortrekker Road.
Mayoral committee member for safety and security JP Smith said enforcement services and the SAPS Public Order Policing unit were deployed to the site. The land was granted to the Ndabeni Land Trust by the state through the land restitution process, and the City said individuals had been unlawfully occupying portions of the property and erecting structures despite an existing court interdict.
Six community members holding a court order were permitted to build on the site, but approximately 50 others without court authorisation allegedly joined them and began putting up structures. The trust and nearby residents asked the City to intervene, and the trust approached SAPS to lay trespassing charges.
The deployment included Traffic Services, the Metro Police Tactical Response Unit, Neighbourhood Safety Officers, the City's Drone Unit and Law Enforcement officers. The City said it acted on concerns about possible public violence after nearby residents reportedly threatened unrest if no action was taken.
The City warned that unlawful land occupations can lead to infrastructure vandalism, theft, illegal dumping and increased crime, as well as service-delivery protests, and said the property would be monitored for further attempts to occupy it. Residents were asked to report suspicious vehicles, including bakkies and taxis, to the 24-hour land invasion hotline on 021 480 7700.