EMPD Halts the illegal land invasion in Etwatwa

The EMPD First Responder Unit (FRU) members on Thursday, 20 June removed illegal structures erected at Mandela Park in Etwatwa and arrested five suspects believed to be responsible for encouraging people to invade land illegally. Despite previous interventions at political level as well as from Human Settlement officials to dissuade the land grabbers from this illegal activity, the erection of structures persisted which left the metro police with only the option of dismantling the structures and removing the land invaders. Protest actions as a result of the metro police involvement turned violent with protestors blockading roads with rocks and burning tyres. The EMPD was able to bring the situation under control and arrested five men suspected to be the masterminds behind the land invasion and public violence. The arrested suspects, aged between 25 and 60, were detained at Etwatwa police station and were expected to appear in the Daveyton Magistrate’s Court on Friday past.