Buffalo City Municipality said it had opened cases of trespassing against people occupying land illegally on the R72 outside East London.
Municipality spokesperson, Samkelo Ngwenya, said on Saturday that the Municipality was now in a position to arrest anyone trespassing on the land and prosecute them successfully.”
On Friday Buffalo City Municipality obtained a court interdict and demolition order after hundreds of people began staking claim to parcels of land near Cove Rock.
Ngwenya said the court order prohibited anyone from commencing or continuing to erect or occupy the “farm number 924” area in East London.
He said the order also empowers the police to “take all necessary and reasonable steps to dismantle or demolish any structure erected illegally in the property.”
He said land invasions were standing in the way of government plans to expand the East London airport and grow the local economy.
Ngwenya said any rumours that the occupation of the land around the airport has been sanctioned by government is totally untrue.
He said Buffalo City Council is awaiting recommendations of the national task team that was set up to come with solutions on the issue, and serious action will be taken thereafter.
