Land invasion in a selected municipality in the Western Cape : a case study of the Overstrand municipality

Abstract

The introduction of democracy in South Africa has given rise to a great awareness of people of their rights, as stipulated in the Constitution, 1996. In the area of housing provision, much progress has been made in giving expression to the right to access housing, especially amongst poorer communities. The research problem of this research project is the concern about the incidences of land invasion, for illegal housing purposes. Although much has been done by government in providing housing, many incidents of land invasion have been reported. The research is focused on a selected municipality in the Western Cape namely the Overstrand Municipality. The research approach is qualitative, in the form of interviews with community members as well as senior members of the municipality. The data was analysed using content analysis with the help of a registered statistician. Based on the key findings, recommendations are made that the municipality can consider with a view to assist in the handling of incidences of land invasion in future, as well as offering recommendations for future research.