Illegal land invasions continue to steal resources
03 August 2020
More than 40 Law Enforcement and Metro Police officers have been injured while attending to the numerous land invasions across the city. In addition to responding to the illegal land grabs, the City of Cape Town's enforcement services arrested 34 people, impounded 107 vehicles and issued more than 66 000 fines for various contraventions.
‘The Safety and Security Directorate has been responding to the land invasions across the City, and more notably Bloekombos, on a daily basis. These incidents are marked by violence from the invaders when they are thwarted from building illegal structures and has led to more than 40 injured staff members and a number of City and private vehicles damaged.
'This situation is completely unacceptable. Officers will continue to respond to incidents, protect land and defend residents from attacks. This is time and resources which could have been spent elsewhere. However, we need national government to note the extent of the violence and to step up and do their part in quelling it. Not only is this their mandate, but they cannot leave the City of Cape Town to do it alone,' said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.
In addition, officers arrested 34 people for a range of crimes from the possession of drugs to the possession of stolen goods, which included a slaughtered goat.
On Wednesday 29 July Metro Police officers were on crime prevention patrols in Phillippi East when they pulled over the driver of a Toyota Yaris who disregarded red traffic lights.
'While issuing a fine the officers noticed a slaughtered goat inside the vehicle. The driver couldn't explain where he got it and he was arrested and the meat confiscated. It certainly didn't pay to act the giddy goat,' added Alderman Smith.
The City's four-footed officers did their part and sniffed out a number of drug dealers and their illegal narcotics.
On Saturday 1 August the K9 Unit was busy with crime prevention patrols in Parow where K9 Khalesi and her handler conducted an open area search in Station Road.
Khalesi sniffed out 15 bankies dagga which had been abandoned. She again proved her drug sniffing abilities when officers interviewed the driver and four occupants of a parked vehicle in Louis Trichardt Street.
Khalesi focused her attention on the inside of the vehicle and a search revealed 11 hidden parcels of dagga. All four suspects, aged between 16 and 27, were arrested.
The previous day, Friday 31 July, Khalesi and K9 colleague Zeke, were part of a joint operation with Milnerton Crime Intelligence.
The canines reacted positively to two different open areas in Koeberg Road and Khalesi led officers to where 43 bankies and two parcel blocks dagga had been abandoned; while Zeke's positive indication led to 46 small and two medium bankies dagga. The drugs were booked in at Milnerton police station.
The City's Traffic Service arrested 18 suspects, impounded 107 vehicles and 13 cell phones, and issued 65 919 fines.
This includes three people arrested yesterday, Sunday 2 August, in an Illegal street racing operation in Bellville South. While two were arrested for reckless driving, the third was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol.
'Our officers across the directorate are doing a sterling job as they attend to land invasions, while ensuring general law and order is maintained. I will continue to call on national government to note the extent of the chaos and get involved, so this directorate does not have to bear the brunt of keeping public order,' said Alderman Smith.
End
Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office
