July 2001 Africa News Headlines

Tuesday, July 10, 2001 - Web posted at 10:01:20 AM GMT

South African court orders eviction of squatters

PRETORIA, July 10 (Reuters) - South African High Court Judge Carel Rabie on Tuesday granted the government an order to evict hundreds of squatters illegally occupying a piece of land near Johannesburg.

"Within 48 hours the sheriff is duly authorised to remove shacks," Rabie told a packed courtroom.

On Monday, government lawyers told a second day of hearings at the Pretoria High Court that the health and safety of the squatters in a barren patch of land northeast of Johannesburg were at risk and they should be evicted.

The attempt by poverty-stricken black South Africans to set up shacks on the government and privately-held piece of land has hit the value of the rand and raised fears that the violent seizure of white-owned farm land in neighbouring Zimbabwe could be repeated in South Africa.

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