Residents fight for vacant land in Ext 11
Residents appear in court following protest action in Extension Eight and 11.
Tsakani – Six residents from Extensions Eight and 11 who were arrested last week following a clash with police appeared in the Tsakani Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
They appeared on charges of public violence after they invaded land and illegally erected shacks. Three of the residents were released on free bail while the others each received R500 bail.
Their case was postponed to October 2.
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During their arrests, rubber bullets were fired, stones were thrown and some of the residents were injured by the rubber bullets. Others alleged they were beaten during the altercation with police.
Concerned resident Gazi Buthelezi said when police started shooting he ran for safety into his new shack. “I feared falling victim to police brutality but before I knew it a group of about 15 officers marched in and dragged me outside.
While some were destroying my shack, others were kicking and punching me while I pleaded with them not to kill me.
“They then stripped me naked and burned my clothes,” he said.
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Another resident, Bonisile Baloyi, said they decided to occupy the land after they identified that people were moving in.
“In the last two years we have seen houses being built and when we asked around we were told the land is sold. “How can land be sold to outsiders when residents from this community are forced to share two-bedroom houses as a family of eight? “There is no privacy in our homes,” she said.
Tsakani police spokesperson Sgt Lerato Mngomezulu confirmed the group was arrested last Wednesday by the Tsakani SAPS and other law enforcers, including the EMPD and Public Order Policing members.
“They were illegally occupying the vacant land in Ext 11 and when police were trying to enforce the law by removing the shacks they turned violent.
“They were occupying the land illegally for the second time within five weeks,” she said. Police warned the community that illegally occupying land is a punishable crime.
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