The Western Cape High Court has ordered 161 people to vacate unlawfully occupied Transnet-owned land in Woodstock and Salt River by September 30, 2026.
The Western Cape High Court has ordered 161 people to vacate Transnet-owned properties in Woodstock and Salt River after finding that the unlawfully occupied land was being used as a base for opportunistic criminal activity.
In a judgment delivered on Tuesday, July 21, Judge Derek Wille granted Transnet’s eviction application and ordered the occupiers to leave the properties by September 30, 2026.
Should they fail to comply with the order, the Sheriff of the High Court may evict them, remove their possessions and dismantle structures unlawfully erected on the land. The sheriff may receive assistance from the South African Police Service if necessary.
The case initially involved 282 people occupying at least 10 pockets of Transnet-owned land for more than a decade. The final application, however, concerned 161 people, many of whom were described in the judgment as undocumented foreign nationals.
