The Free State High Court’s Judge Johann Dafue has dismissed the South African National Civic Organisation’s  (Sanco) application to challenge the court order forcing the Mangaung Metro Municipality to remove illegal land grabbers.

After this dismissal on Saturday (9/3) almost a hundred Sanco members and some of those evicted were singing and dancing at the court under the watchful eye of the Public Order Police (POP). The FF Plus has in the meantime confirmed the Red Ants are still dismantling illegal structures at Lourierpark.

Evicted illegal land grabbers gathered at the Free State High Court with Sanco to get answers as to why their completed structures or shacks were demolished by the Red Ants on Friday morning (8/3).

They also want the arrested people to be released as they believe they did not do anything wrong. The case was delayed until 11:00 as the lawyers were in discussions and the security at court was increased.

"At the end of the day, we want people to receive land and have the arrested people released from the holding cells,” the Mangaung spokesperson for Sanco, Neo Lerumo, said before the court proceedings.

Early Friday morning (8/3), the Red Ants descended on Lourier Park to demolish incomplete structures that were put up by illegal land occupiers following the court order granted to the Mangaung Metro Municipality.

The order compelled the city, sheriff of the court, and SAPS to demolish only incomplete and unoccupied structures – the first and second group of respondents.

The third group of respondents, who have already completed their structures and are occupying them, were not to be removed if they were not offered alternative housing.

Free State political parties celebrated the successful eviction of the land occupiers yet the evicted occupiers were left in despair.

OFM News/Zenande Mpame cg