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The Democratic Alliance (DA) applauds the DA-led Midvaal Municipality on its swift action in dealing with the illegal land invasions in Walkerville, Elandsfontein.

This follows numerous complaints by property owners in the area that their properties were being invaded and their lives put at risk and they were not getting any assistance from the police.

The DA elected ward councillors, the mayoral committee and the executive mayor appointed a private security company, assisted by the municipal traffic officers and other security stakeholders including the military and police, to demolish the illegally constructed dwellings and demarcations from the private properties.

Following the demolitions, the Midvaal Municipality applied for an urgent interdict to stop invaders from illegally occupying other properties within Elandsfontein which were not included on the interdict initially applied for by the property owners and granted on 19 June 2020.

Once the interdict was granted, the police arrested some of the land invasion instigators, and the DA-led Midvaal Municipality will continue to monitor the area in the coming days until calm is fully restored.

The DA will put pressure on the De Deur Police Station to make available a report on all previous cases opened by affected property owners in the area and to speed up the arrests of perpetrators. We also call on the property owners to fence off their property and put up prominent posters declaring that the property is privately owned and that trespassers will be prosecuted.

The DA condemns illegal invasions that are in most instances taking advantage of the most vulnerable communities for political gain.

Issued by The DA