Court Drops Charges Against 73 Squatters
- Share via
A South African court dismissed trespassing charges against 73 squatters who were arrested when hundreds of poor blacks invaded a barren patch of land outside Johannesburg in July.
Magistrate Karen Pillay said that while South Africa wants to avoid being compared to neighboring Zimbabwe, where land invasions have sparked a crisis, she was dismissing the charges because the government had not warned the squatters that their actions were illegal.
Police removed hundreds of squatters who had been enticed by a fringe political party to build illegal shacks on land near Johannesburg’s airport. Those who resisted eviction were arrested and charged.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
