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Johannesburg - The Economic Freedom Fighters in Ekurhuleni will continue to support the illegal occupation of vacant land in spite of the city's resolve to oppose this at every turn.
"We have been on the ground, done door-to-door [campaigns] and have seen what our people are going through," EFF chairperson of the region Mampuru Mampuru told News24.
He said the party had given the city's Mayor Mzwandile Masina a chance to improve the lives of the people of Ekurhuleni, but that after 50 working days on the job he had not achieved much.
"Our people believed the new system would come and accommodate them, but 50 days have passed. Thomas Sankara in his first 100 days changed the living conditions of our people, but here in Ekurhuleni you can see he won't do anything. Why? Because he is the mayor of the ANC."
Police and Red Ants have had their hands full in parts of Daveyton and Tembisa, destroying shacks built on unoccupied land and dispersing crowds attempting to occupy land over the past two weeks.
Mampuru, who was speaking to News24 after attending a land occupation programme meeting, said the party would continue with the occupations. This was because the party had made a resolution on the issue at the EFF's national people's assembly in 2014.
Systematic well-organised
READ: EFF stages land grab in Ballito
"Our people will continue invading land and as the vanguard we will support them," Mampuru said.
Member of the mayoral committee for human settlements Lesiba Mpya said although he understood that the occupation of land was a policy of the EFF he had a constitutional responsibility to defend the private rights of citizens, including those of privately owned land.
"If they believe in land grabs, that policy is certainly not ours. As government we will take every legal means to make sure that land is protected," he said.
Mpya said there was a systematic, well-organised attempt to occupy land in the region. He claimed the EFF was taking advantage of unsuspecting people.
"I am concerned that a so-called 'reputable organisation' would resort to such means. Taking land by force is engaging in illegal activities."
He said that no one has the right to motivate, encourage, mobilise or instigate the illegal occupation of land of whatever nature without the written consent of council.
"When that happens council reserves the right to take any appropriate legal steps to correct such a situation," he said.
