Cape Town Land Invasions on the Rise, Costing the Province over R100m

Monday, April 12, 2021 at 10:33 AM by Reeshni Chetty

- Land invasions are reportedly on the rise in the City of Cape Town since the start of lockdown last year

- There have been between 30 000 and 40 000 shacks in around 50 informal settlements set up in the past 12 months

- The informal settlements also have very unique names, which were definitely picked up from the current economic climate

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Cape Town is facing a major influx of people. In the last 12 months, around 50 informal settlements have been set up in the city. Reports say that between 30 000 and 40 000 informal dwellings are now sitting on sand dunes, railway reserves, public land and even churches.

These areas do not have running water or ablution facilities. Since March last year, over 1 025 land invasion incidents have occurred in the Mother City. The sheer number of informal settlements on the rise has cost the Western Cape government around R116 million.

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Member of the Western Cape Provincial Legislature Matlhodi Maseko says that often people don't know that the areas they are invading are not made for housing developments, thus placing the new residents and their homes at extreme risks.

Cape Town land invasions on the rise costing the province over R100m — The rise in land invasions in the City of Cape Town has cost the provincial government over R100 million. Image: RODGER BOSCH/AFP
Source: Getty Images

According to BusinessLIVE, there have been some unique naming choices of the informal settlements. Names such as "Ramaphosa", "Covid" and "Sanitiser" are just a few of the memorable ones.

One area named Lockdown Bay and the Waterfront sits on the edge of a body of water in a low-lying plain. The report continued by saying that the area looks as though it may become a floodplain in winter.

In a report by News24, Maseko explained that since the 2018/19 financial year, the land invasions have cost the local government a whopping R269 million. He added that orchestrated land invasions are often done to "jump the queue" in terms of the Housing Demand Database.