The City of Cape Town has reportedly been hit by at least 1 025 and invasion incidents since 2020.
According to News24, this has cost the Western Cape province over R100 million.
Quoting the Western Cape Member of Provincial Legislature Matlhodi Mask, the report said that land invasion remained the costliest obstacle to the development of safe housing in the Western Cape.
Maseko said it cost the provincial department of human settlement almost 116 million in the 2020/2021 financial year to stop invasions.
Last year the City said it was drafting a plan, which included stricter law enforcement, in a move to ward off land invaders and illegal occupants.
The plan included fencing off all unused City land, security, lighting and putting up temporary structures, IOL reported at the time.
Hot spots
A report by the Parliamentary Monitoring Group indicated in September last year that there were delays in delivering housing and infrastructure projects due to land invasions.
“The situation during lockdown showed that land invasion was opportunistic and criminal. It worked against law abiding beneficiaries who were waiting to receive housing. Resources intended for human settlement development had been redirected to secure land which had been invaded,” the report said.
The report said that land invasion was a problem not only for private landowners but also for government entities.
The City identified Khayelitsha, Mfuleni, Delft, Kraaifontein, Philippi and Du Noon as hotspots of land invasion.
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