Eviction notice distress

RESIDENTS living in a block of flats in Overport, Durban, are scrambling to find new homes after they received a letter to evacuate the premises at the end of February, allegedly to make way for student accommodation.

Many of them have lived at Westpark Heights, on West Road, for four decades.

The residents, who declined to be named for fear of reprisal, said if they do not move out by February 28, legal action would be taken against them.

A married father of three said the estate agent,to whom they had paid their rent to had allegedly told him that their belongings would be left on the roadside if they did not vacate their homes.

“This is the kind of inhumane treatment we receive. They gave us the letters in mid-January and expect us to move out so quickly. There are rumours they will be turning the flats into student accommodation.”

The man, 47, said their lives would be disrupted by the sudden move.

Another resident, who has lived at the flat for more than four decades, said they were provided with a list of alternate buildings.

But it required deposits which ranged from R6 550 (North Beach) to R38 300 (Riverside).

“They think they are doing us a favour by providing a list of other places we can go to. They do not realise that many of the tenants are pensioners or from single-income households.”

Iqbal Mohamed, chairperson of the Organisation for Civic Rights, said it would be questioning the validity of the evacuation notice and the reason for wanting vacant occupation of the building.

“We have met the tenants and given them assurance that we are going to act against this notice.

“This is not going to be a case where, like at other flats, tenants moved out or were finally evicted through a court order,” Mohamed said.

The owner of Westpark Heights referred POST to his attorney, who could not be reached for comment at the time of publication.