Press Release: RP Says City’s Informal Settlement Deal Will Fuel More Land Invasions

The Referendum Party has warned that the City of Cape Town’s new agreement with Urban Think Tank Empowerment (UTTE) to upgrade informal settlements will incentivise further illegal land invasions, overload services in low-income communities, and impose even greater financial pressure on already overtaxed ratepayers.

The City’s “BT Soweto Pilot Project” includes duplex units, commercial spaces, and community facilities. While officials call it “historic,” RP says it ignores the real drivers of land invasions – weak enforcement of property rights, uncontrolled migration, and political protection of land invaders – and instead creates a powerful incentive for further illegal occupation.

“This plan rewards land invaders while law-abiding legacy residents who follow the rules are left behind,” said RP Secretary General Robert King. “Upgrading illegally occupied land without stopping new invasions guarantees the crisis will grow. If you build incentives, they will come.”

The Party says its Western Cape Illegal Settlements Bill provides the only fair solution to Cape Town’s illegal settlement crisis: clearly defining what a home is in Western Cape law, imposing stronger penalties on those who organise and enable invasions, protecting property rights, and ensuring proper safeguards for the vulnerable.

RP warns that Cape Town is sliding into a two-tier system – one where compliant residents face endless planning requirements, fees, and delays for even minor alterations to their lawful homes, while illegal structures can appear overnight and are later rewarded with upgrades and permanent infrastructure. No society can remain stable under such unequal rules, and the City’s approach risks normalising a culture where breaking the law is the fastest path to government support.