Furniture was scattered on the streets after alleged invaders were removed from the houses by the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) on Tuesday morning, 28 February.
Ekurhuleni Municipality kicked out the residents after they had invaded the houses five years ago.
The residents said they didn’t invade the houses, but were saving the municipality costs and embarrassment.
People who invaded the houses at McKenzieville in Alra Park, Nigel said the structures were left incomplete after the contractor abandoned the project several years ago.
“These houses were turned into crime dens where thugs used to rape and rob people, and were homes to hobos,” said resident Thokoza Mbengwane.
She said she only found a slab after nyaopes and residents from nearby houses stole bricks.
“I built this house from scratch and roofed it with my own money,” she said.
Residents have vowed that they were not going anywhere.
“Where does the municipality expect these people to go? They fixed these houses and now they want the structures back,” said another resident, Lizzy Peterson.
Community leader Jerome van Greenen said the municipality evicted people without giving them a notice.
“This is unfair,” he said.
Another community leader, Mohammed Fareed, said: “How can the municipality evict people with an old court order that was opposed?”
When the SunTeam contacted the Ekurhuleni Municipality, they were referred to the EMPD’s Land Invasion Unit, which was behind the evictions.
The unit’s commander, Superintendent Pamela Buthelezi, said the residents were given notices last year but they refused to move.
“This is a case from 2019, and it was supposed to be executed in 2020 but was stopped due to Covid-19. Last year they were served with notices, but they didn’t comply,” Buthelezi said.
-daily sun
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