The Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCM) demolished 13 building structures in the West Bank area, East London. This comes after the municipality had several meetings with the community members about invading the land, the invaders were instructed by the high court not to build in this land and they were given warnings but they continue to occupy the area illegally.
The Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality will not tolerate land invading and sending a strong message that it will continue to demolish building structures. Tuesday 16 August, the municipality conducted a joint operation at the West Bank area to demolish building structures and shacks the material was confiscated and retained by the municipality for safekeeping. According to the court order, it mandated that the municipality to exonerate 88 invaders in line with the requirements of the Act.
The West Bank community seems to continue to undermine the court, numerous raids and negotiations done by the municipality that instructs them that they should not build structures in the area particularly brick and mortar.
The operation of demolishing building structures was conducted by BCM Legal Services which included Law Enforcement Services, South African Police Service, Human Settlements, Traffic Service, BCMM Security Service, BCM Electricity and East London SPCA.
The Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality will continue to ensure that there is no land invasion taking place in the West Bank area as per court order that has been granted by the East London High Court.
