Stop the Unlawful Entry on Premises Bill

Consider the following scenarios: 

• You arrive at you holiday home and find it occupied. 
• You arrive back at you home and find it occupied. 
• You inspect your farmland and find that a portion has been occupied.
• You arrive at your business premises after a holiday and find it occupied. 

The Unlawful Entry Bill will allow any person access to your property without your permission.  It implies that a trespasser only needs to claim a legitimate purpose of entering your premises. This raises the risk that once a trespasser gains access to your property, they could squat, invade or commit a crime. 

On the authority of this Bill trespassing may only be stopped if a clear and legible board with signage on your property states that trespassers are not allowed. 

According to this Bill certain members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) will be trained as an authorised officer to deal with intrusion on private property issues. This will allow them to apply their discretion when contacted to remove these intruders. 

We have to fight this Bill because it will:

• create a loophole for intruders to commit unlawful acts;
• create provisions that will enable the intruder to escape prosecution;
• allow “authorised” members of the South African Police Service to apply their discretion when contacted to remove intruders from private property; and
• allow an intruder to be charged with an unlawful entry offence, whereupon they will be able raise this clause in their defence.

The safety of all individuals, families and employees is of critical importance, not only for the agricultural sector, but also for the entire country. The only way to stop the new Unlawful Entry on Premises Bill is for citizens to speak out against it.