The City of Cape Town says it intends to oppose the leave to appeal application lodged by activist organisation Ndifuna Ukwazi against last month’s Western Cape High Court judgment, which paved the way for Transnet to evict illegal occupants from its land in Woodstock and Salt River.
The High Court ordered that the 161 unlawful occupiers vacate the Transnet-owned land near the N1 highway by 30 September 2026.
The City says its opposition to the appeal application comes amid renewed safety concerns after at least two incidents in the past week in which three cyclists were attacked in lower Woodstock. These attacks are reportedly the latest in a series of incidents since the illegal land occupation took hold in the area after the pandemic.
Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, JP Smith, says the attacks, highlighted by the Pedal Power Association, have renewed concerns about crime associated with the unlawful occupation and its impact on surrounding communities, cyclists and road users.
The City says the occupation has also placed strain on City and South African Police Services resources, citing evidence of cable theft, drug dealing and other crime at the site. It added that the court conducted a site inspection before granting the order.
Smith says prolonged appeal litigation could delay efforts to address attacks on road users and cyclists.
“Protracted [appeal] litigation will likely cause delays and make it very difficult to effectively stop attacks on road users and cyclists that continue to emanate from this site, like the ones reported in this past week,” said Smith
Smith also says the occupation has effectively removed a vital cycling lane for people travelling into the city and has contributed to vandalism and crime.
The City says it respects the right to legal redress but argues that the rights of cyclists, surrounding communities, businesses and N1 road users to access public roads without fear of attack must also be considered.
“I urge residents to please continue to report any criminality linked to this land invasion to City Enforcement and the SAPS.”
