Evicted family lives on roadside

WINE FARM: DISMISSAL SPARKS CHAIN OF EVENTS

Offer by municipality of alternate accommodation rejected.

For nearly a month, Zonwabile Alfred May and his nine family members have been living on the R44 roadside near Paarl.

On March 26, they were evicted from the Windmeul Kelder wine farm where they had lived for almost 40 years.

The May family have been squatting outside the farm gates ever since the eviction, with all their belongings, including couches, mattresses and a cupboard, with only a plastic sheet covering them.

Elna Brown, who is dating May’s son, Dumsani, said the family were trying to maintain some normality.

“The children are living with my sister so they can still bath and go to school. I’m still attending college and writing exams. It’s hard because we are still sleeping outside,” she said.

“It has been hot, windy and it has rained, but with God’s grace, the family survives. They are unemployed and in desperate need of funding so they can buy food,” said Billy Claasen, director of the Rural and Farmworkers Development Organisation.

The family’s troubles began after May was fired for alleged misconduct in 2008.

A two-year legal battle ended with Windmeul evicting them last month. The directors and management of Windmeul Kelder detailed their version of events, making several allegations against May and his family.

The family have repeatedly rejected the Drakenstein municipality’s offer to house them at the caravan park in New Orleans, Paarl.

Gerald Esau, director of community services at Drakenstein municipality, said: “Our offer is still on the table.” Lawyers representing the family are now gearing up to challenge their eviction in the Randburg Land Claims Court on April 25. – Republished from Groundup. org.za

It’s hard because we are still sleeping outside