The reasons behind the land invasion in Zandspruit
Leaders of the Economic Freedom Fighters explain the issue of land grabs.

Gift Mkasi, EFF's Bokamoso Branch Secretary, checking out a shack being erected by a resident of Zandspruit.

A leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters in Zandspruit has explained the reasons for the persistent scourge of land invasion in that area.

As Zandspruit is arguably one of the leading hubs of land invasion in Joburg, the secretary general of the EFF in Zandspruit (Bokamoso branch), Gift Mkasi, detailed the complexities of the issue and why residents resort to protest action when land-grabbers are interrupted by law enforcement.

Gift Mkasi, EFF’s Bokamoso Branch Secretary and EFF’s development leader, Yandisa Phungu, pointing out land belonging to a plot owner who is allegedly influencing land invasion. 

In his in-depth explanation, he listed renting of shacks, poverty and the failure of the City of Johannesburg to address concerns as some of the critical issues pushing residents to grab land in Zandspruit.

In an interview with the Northsider on the plots currently being taken over by the residents, he said: “The issue of land invasion taking place around Zandspruit is pushed by people who pay rent, because they are in the majority. As the level of unemployment is high, people are taking over vacant land to avoid paying rent,” said Mkasi.

Although not being able to pay rent is ostensibly the perfect excuse for land-grabbing, Mkasi said that some people are doing so for personal gain, and leasing the land to foreigners. This is something the EFF strongly opposes.

“We believe the crisis of land invasion might be driven by the need for a place to stay, but it is being pushed by profiteering, because some people operate illegal businesses on this land,” he said.

He made an example of an area called Kanana, which was grabbed by locals, but is now occupied by foreign shop-owners. “This means that somebody who sold the land, which is against the laws of the country, is behind this whole issue. You can’t sell land that does not belong to you. And invading it means you have an intention to stay there,” Mkasi explained, making it clear, as the leadership of the EFF, that they are against land invasions with intent to make a profit.

The plot owner criticised by Zandspruit councillor, Victor Mafinya, was also lambasted by Mkasi for influencing land invasion on municipal land. “There is a plot owner named Van Zyl who is influencing people to take municipal land and leave the privately owned land,” he said.

Gift Mkasi, EFF’s Bokamoso Branch Secretary, pointing at where the land invasion is taking place.

He said the EFF’s intention was to demonstrate that they need private owners to surrender the land to the people, not what they were witnessing as people invade land set aside for development.

Mkasi said land invasion in Zandspruit has escalated because of the empty promises made by the City of Johannesburg. “We got an empty promise from the MMC for Housing, Mzobanzi Ntuli, on 20 January. He said the council was going to provide Zandspruit with serviced stands, but we have until today not received any further information about these stands. Our people said they might stop grabbing land when this promise comes true”.

When asked if the area will still experience protest action, Mkasi said the reason for protests is that the City of Johannesburg responds to them by sending in members of the JMPD and the police to quell the protesting, “… and, when we see the police, we see people we must fight with, and this results in violence.”