A tense situation has de-escalated in the Bompini informal settlement near King Phalo Airport, following a successful urgent court application by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) to halt the demolition of homes.
The demolitions, which began earlier this week and left a trail of rubble and displaced residents, were stopped by an interim interdict. The matter was heard in the East London High Court last night, where the presiding judge reportedly expressed significant dissatisfaction with the Buffalo City Metro Municipality’s failure to provide alternative accommodation for the affected families.
In a swift development, the Buffalo City Metro’s Municipal Manager has been summoned to appear before the same court this afternoon to provide an explanation.
According to Mr. Vuyani, a local EFF leader who was part of the delegation that filed the urgent application, the land dispute has a long history. He explained that residents have been moving into the area for over a decade. The land is owned by the Agricultural Research Council (ARC), a public entity under the Department of Agriculture.
In 2019, the ARC issued a warning for residents to vacate the land. A court order in February 2020 interdicted them from building further structures, but Mr. Vuyani claims this order was never enforced.
The conflict escalated in 2024 when the EFF began occupying a separate, one-hectare portion of the same government-owned land. Mr. Vuyani alleged that this action prompted pressure from surrounding farmers on the ARC to act, leading to a subsequent eviction order on November 28, 2024.
Mr. Vuyani contended that the ARC and its contracted security personnel acted prematurely by proceeding with demolitions this week. He claimed that both the 2020 and 2024 court orders have since been rescinded, sending the entire matter back to the court for a fresh hearing.
“They were supposed to wait for the court processes to be completed,” Mr. Vuyani stated, alleging the demolitions were an attempt to create facts on the ground before the court could rule. “They decided to move in and demolish these structures so that by the time the court sits again… they will say no, there are no structures there anyway.”
The human cost of the demolitions is already visible. On the ground, residents whose homes were destroyed are seen scrambling for shelter, salvaging furniture from the rubble. Some have been forced to sleep in the open amidst the ruins of their houses, while others have found temporary refuge in containers.
The halt on further demolitions is temporary, pending the next court hearing scheduled for Friday. For now, a fragile calm has returned to Bompini as the community waits for the High Court to determine its fate.