Evidence is emerging of a “politically-orchestrated campaign” to occupy land in Lenasia that must be investigated by the police, Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba said on Tuesday.

Image: Ntwaagae Seleka via Twitter
Authorities reported a steep escalation in land grabs in the area during the past week, saying the situation was “getting out of control” with land occupiers firing shots.
Mashaba called for urgent police intervention on Monday, saying that the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD), with its comparatively limited public order policing resources, “cannot handle the situation alone”.
Task team
He said on Tuesday that the JMPD had requested provincial police commissioner Major General Elias Mawela to set up a task team to probe who was behind the occupation.