The illegal occupants secured an interim court order preventing the provincial department from demolishing their houses and the court also ordered that the illegal occupants should also stop construction. The department filed affidavits in court to request the eviction of the occupiers and the applicants (illegal occupiers) also filled counter applications. In March 2011, the court ordered that the matter be referred for mediation for the applicants to explain how they acquired the properties. The outcome of the mediation was that of the 168 illegal occupants, only 11 applicants responded, and only three applicants were found to have applied and were on the demand database of the department. The department approached the court to seek a final order and the court ruled that the applicants (illegal occupants) whose names appeared in court papers were ordered to vacate the properties they were occupying. The applicants were ordered to remove or demolish their structures within 30 days, failing which the department had the right to remove or demolish those structures.