Desperate occupiers’ shacks razed
Desperate for rent-free accommodation, residents of the overcrowded informal settlement of Ekuphumuleni broke down a concrete fence and occupied land on the edge of a dam.
Situated near Milnerton in Cape Town, the air at the site smells of sulphur that seems to emanate from the dam. Before the occupation it was an illegal dump. The occupiers pushed garbage into the dam to clear the site to build their homes.
The occupiers said the first wave of people moved there in February last year. A second group followed in June.
On January 30 this year, the City of Cape Town’s anti-land invasion unit demolished shacks and confiscated building materials and belongings. The residents immediately rebuilt.
The unit returned on February 4, razing homes and again confiscated building materials and belongings. By Wednesday, some occupiers were rebuilding again.
Sanele Thetha, 23, said it cost him R3 200 to build his shack. He said the need for land outweighed the dangers of the site.
Mateboho Mahashe, 30, said her shack was demolished in January. It cost R2 200 to build it.
Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements Councillor Malusi Booi confirmed the demolitions. Asked if the city had a court order to evict the residents, Booi said claims that the land was occupied in February and June last year were untrue.
“The city’s anti-land invasion unit removes structures that are unoccupied or unfinished.
“This is not an eviction in terms of the law.” – Republished from Groundup. org.za