The DA has welcomed the release of the Prevention of the Illegal Eviction from and Unlawful Occupation of Land Amendment Bill for public comments.
The party says this marks meaningful progress in tackling the growing challenge of illegal land invasions. The DA made its comments after human settlements minister Thembi Simelane presented the bill for public comments on Thursday.
Simelane said it was undertaking the process to review and strengthen the laws governing illegal occupations and evictions.
“This work will culminate in amendments that will strengthen the PIE Act, to ensure it is effective, easier to understand and simpler to enforce,” she said in a media statement on Thursday.
Simelane said the intervention came at a time when there was a growing number of land and building occupations across the country. She said these occupations placed a significant financial and administrative burden in government and the private sector.
She said the proposed amendments sought to empower municipalities, state entities and private property owners to respond more decisively to illegal occupations and evictions.
“It will strengthen our ability to address individuals and organised groups who are responsible for orchestrating these invasions,” Simelane said.
Sixty days were allocated for the public to submit their comments.
The DA said the key reforms currently being pursued by the department were originally introduced by it in Parliament in 2023.
It said the newly published draft incorporated several of the DA’s proposals and went further in addressing the issue.
“This demonstrates how Parliament should function where practical, evidence-based ideas influence policy, regardless of their source.
“The DA remains committed to practical, enforceable reform that restores order to land use, protects property rights, and ensures that housing delivery is fair, lawful and sustainable,” said Luyolo Mphathi, DA spokesperson on human settlements.
Mphathi said the DA’s Bill was formally submitted to the portfolio committee on human settlements in 2025, where the department expressed support for its core proposals and committed to introducing its own version through the minister this year.
Mphathi said at the time, the DA proposed legislation aimed at:
- making it a criminal offence to encourage or organise unlawful land invasions, even when no money is exchanged;
- strengthening the requirements courts must assess when issuing eviction orders; and
- empowering courts to mandate alternative accommodation, with specific conditions and timelines.
Mphathi said illegal land invasions placed significant pressure on municipalities, disrupted spatial planning and weakened the rule of law while millions of South Africans remained on legitimate housing waiting lists.
TimesLIVE
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