Police have used stun grenades to defuse the explosive situation by protesting residents of Lourierpark in Bloemfontein over land invasion. Tensions ran high between residents and land invaders.
Earlier in the morning, residents blocked the new occupants from entering the area and to continue erecting structures. People started invading land on the Brandkop farm near Lourierpark suburb from early hours of Saturday morning.
The standoff seems far from over. Two conflicting groups of residents were separated by police. Lourierpark residents were up in arms, blocking new occupants to invade the land.
“I’m very scared, I’m very scared, it’s like we are not safe, even myself, cause my husband is not always around at the house, Monday to Thursday he’s not there. My yard does not have a fence. They are trespassing, they are doing whatever that they want to do,” says Nandipha Dale, Lourierpark resident.
But the new occupants remain resolute.
“As far as I’m concerned, there’s nothing like rapes because people can’t just come from the location and come and rape people in Lourierpark as if there are no ladies in Rocklands, or in Bloemanda or in phase 2 and wherever. We are here because we don’t have place to stay. People are staying in flats, guest houses, they are paying lots of money, whereby they can build their houses if they can get the stands,” says Bells Choane, new occupant of land.
The Mangaung Municipality has maintained that new occupants are not allowed to be where they are. The municipality is however, adhering to the court order.
“The court order instructs upon us, that on those dwellings that are established and people are living, we must leave them until the matter has come to conclusion. Those that are continuing to erect we must stop them and remove all the rubbles or shacks that they are trying to come up with,” says Gregory Nthatisi, Executive Mayor, Mangaung Metro.
Over the weekend tensions ran high when residents confronted the new occupants in an attempt to chase them away. Police have maintained high presence and have continued to monitor the situation.
Video: Tensions rise in Pellissier, Bloemfontein as residents claim vacant land
