Irresponsible statements by Julius Malema and the EFF almost led to anarchistic behaviour over the weekend with at least three attempts to occupy land in Gauteng. The ANC’s adoption of the motion to expropriate land without compensation is one of the driving forces behind these illegal actions. Moreover, the SAPS’s poor handling of the land grabs in Johannesburg bears witness to a police services that is unable to protect legal property owners.
According to Ian Cameron, AfriForum’s Head of Community Safety, the SAPS’s inability to act is indicative that they themselves do not understand the Trespass Act (Act number 6 of 1959). This follows after land owners had to approach the courts to compel the SAPS to act.
“If someone trespasses on your land and you immediately lay charges at the SAPS, the SAPS must act immediately and remove the trespassers – you need not bring a court application. The SAPS should have acted in Johannesburg in the same manner that they had acted this weekend to remove occupiers from Government land. It seems, however, that private land owners are not protected with the same zeal. We have to ask ourselves whether the political will exists to truly protect legal property owners in South Africa,” Cameron adds.
According to Cameron, the irresponsible statements by politicians – including President Cyril Ramaphosa – about land have resulted in this anarchy and chaos.