East London, Eastern Cape – November 20, 2025
Hundreds of families in the Bongweni informal settlement near King Phalo Airport in East London have been left homeless this week as bulldozers and demolition crews razed more than 3,500 structures, including over 800 brick houses and 2,800 shacks, built on land owned by the Agricultural Research Council (ARC).
The demolitions, which began earlier this week and continued through Wednesday, November 19, are being carried out in strict enforcement of a high court order granted in favour of the ARC, the registered owner of farm 1345.
Residents were seen hurriedly removing furniture, doors, windows, and whatever belongings they could salvage before heavy machinery flattened their homes. Many families, including elderly residents and children, stood helplessly as their properties were reduced to rubble. Police were deployed on site to maintain order and prevent potential violence.
The ARC obtained an interdict in the East London High Court in November 2024 prohibiting further occupation and construction on the property. In June 2025, the council issued warnings to residents to stop building and vacating the land. The court subsequently ordered all illegal occupants to demolish their own structures and leave the property by February 26, 2025. When residents failed to comply, the ARC proceeded with enforced removal using private contractors known as the Red Ants.
ARC representatives confirmed that due legal process had been followed and that the land forms part of its research operations. The property was previously used for agricultural trials, including hemp and orange cultivation in the 1950s, and has been earmarked for ongoing research purposes despite appearing unused for over three decades.
Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM) has publicly distanced itself from the operation. Municipal spokesperson Bongani Fuzile stated that the demolitions were not authorised by the municipality and that there are no agreements permitting agreements allowing occupation or construction on the privately owned land. He confirmed there are no relocation plans in place for affected residents and that the city has no involvement in the enforcement action.
Advocate Zolani Madukuda, representing many of the occupants, secured an urgent court order this week to halt the demolitions, arguing the matter remains before the courts and has not been finalised. However, the sheriff of the court proceeded with enforcement regardless, allowing the Red Ants to continue their work.
Residents have expressed shock and despair at the sudden loss of their homes. Some have lived on the land for nearly 40 years, with one woman confirming she and her family settled there in 1987. Many acknowledged awareness of the ongoing court case but insisted they never received direct personal eviction notices or warnings to vacate before the bulldozers arrived. Elderly residents collapsed from distress while others sifted through rubble searching for remaining possessions.
A 2007 letter from the provincial department of agriculture, shown by community members, confirmed ARC ownership but also noted existing occupation at the time and instructed Buffalo City Metro to provide basic services. No formal services or relocation assistance have been extended during the current demolitions.
As of November 20, 2025, demolition operations remain ongoing, with crews returning daily to clear additional sections of the settlement. Thousands of people have been displaced with no alternative accommodation provided by either the landowner or local authorities. The action has left families exposed to the elements, forced to seek temporary shelter with relatives or in open areas nearby.
The Bongweni demolitions highlight the ongoing tension between private land rights and long-standing informal occupations in South Africa, where housing shortages continue to drive land invasions despite legal prohibitions. The ARC maintains that the property must be reclaimed for its statutory research mandate, while affected residents now face an uncertain future without homes or official support.
