Evicted Alex residents cry for more help

UPDATE: 7 June 2014, 11am – The evicted residents of first avenue cry for help despite temporary respite following the intervention of Gauteng MEC for Human Settlement.

They spent the night in sheltered premises with the men at Marlboro community centre and the women at Nokuthula Centre both in Marlboro. Their life was further eased in the chilly weather through a donation of blankets and food items – potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, mealie meal, bread, rolls and soup by charity organisation Gift of the Givers. The MEC promised to provide temporary solution to their plight on Monday and they (residents) wait anxiously for the news.

They thanked Gift of the Givers for the donations but said they were only enough for the evening and breakfast for those going to work. Phineas Ramakgasha, a residents committee member said they were now collecting contributions to get more items to supplement the remaining food. He said they also needed mattresses to improve warmth to avoid catching flue. “We are in dire straits and will appreciate any help of food items, mattresses and more blankets, especially for the children who should be healthy and well before going to school on Monday,” he said.

Details : Phineas Ramakgasha; 076 330 7781

UPDATE: 6 June 2014, 1:30pm –

Gauteng’s MEC for Human Settlements Jacob Mamabolo has visited the Alex residents evicted from their shacks on 1st Avenue and promised them that new accommodation would be found for them by 9 June.

The evicted male residents have been given temporary shelter at the Marlboro Community Centre next to the Marlboro Stadium while their women counterparts have been accommodated at Vezinyawo settlement near Nokuthula Centre, also in Marlboro.

Mamabolo promised the evicted residents that a permanent solution for their problems would be found by Monday (June 9).

Residents Committee member George Nkoana said most of the residents had been moved off the streets by yesterday but those that are still there are guarding some of the properties left behind which will be collected soon.

“Some of the stuff left behind are broken items which the residents felt they could not use or repair anymore and then abandoned them on the old site,” Nkoana said.

UPDATE: 6 June 2014, 11:20am –

Alex residents evicted from their shacks on 1st Avenue were still in limbo, unsure if the authorities would effect the court interdict against their eviction.

With the winter chill expected to get bad from today, they are worried that they would again spend another night in the cold.

Ward councillor for the area and DA member Andrew Stewart confirmed that a court interdict had indeed been issued against the eviction but that it may not necessarily have overturned the eviction order issued to the property owner. He said that he was not keen to get too involved in the matter as he was aware that the eviction order had been legally issued to the property owner for execution.

He added that as a public representative he met the residents some time back to inform them about the imminent eviction but they did not heed his advice. And that they informed him of their application for a court interdict, which he said may only slow down the eviction process.

He stated his concern that the matter appeared to be politicised, with the residents not being provided accurate information on the legality of the eviction order for execution from a private property. He said he was also concerned that the city may not have alternative accommodation for the people when the eviction does go ahead but he would keep abreast of developments.

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UPDATE: 5 June 2014, 08:45am –

Residents of 1st Avenue, Alexandra who were evicted from two industrial stands spent their first night of homelessness in chilly conditions despite a court interdict.

The interdict given by the Alexandra magistrate’s court was issued last night but this morning the residents were still outside. “Our children slept in cars, at other shacks and local taverns to keep them from getting sick. Most of us fended the cold by sleeping around fires,” said Oscar Malibe.

Malibe added that the security at the gates refused to let them in and also police had dispatched two policeman to the area but with orders to only look around and not enforce the court order. “We hope the police and owners of the two stands will come this morning to let us back in,” he said.

Sedibe further said that the local councillor Andrew Stewart had not come to see them or sent anyone on his behalf. He was unreachable last night and didn’t respond to telephonic request by this reporter for his view on the matter.

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UPDATE: 4 June 2014, 9pm –

The victims of this afternoon’s eviction on 1st avenue, Alexandra were still in limbo.

The lucky ones had transported their belongs elsewhere where, presumably they also got accommodation but the majority said they had no where to go and besides, they had to stay put to protect their property.

Some had already prepared places to sleep, wondering how they would fare in the cold weather as their blankets had been soiled and got wet when they were dumped on the street. Also they were worried how and where they would bath and prepare breakfast before going to work and, for their children before going to school. The area is in a ward controlled by the DA and some of its material, which were alleged stored in one of the buildings, were also strewn on the street.

An official of the DA in Alexandra, Shadrack Mkhonto, confirmed the incident which he said took place in a private property – but he wasn’t certain how it was done. He said the councillor for the area, Andrew Stewart, could elaborate on the matter.

Stewart’s phone was on voice mail. Mkhonto did however stress that, “Legally, an eviction is authorised through court order with specific conditions one of which is the provision of alternative place,” he said. Presumably the conditions also include notice period which unfortunately the residents said they were not given.

When probed about their fate some of the evictees expressed concern on the worthiness of voting and added that in the process some of the red ants had said it was their reward for voting having voted for the ANC. This presumably in reference to the party winning in most of the wards in Alexandra even after heavy contest by other parties and allegations of voting irregularities.

UPDATE: 4 June 2014, 7pm –

Hundreds of people in Alexandra including women and children will spend a chilly night on the street after being evicted from their shacks this afternoon.

The evicted are from eighty nine families who occupied former industrial stands 200 and 203 on 1st Avenue where some had lived since 2000. The residents say the eviction was illegal as they had not been given formal notice and was conducted by the red ants who came in several trucks with one bearing the Sheriff emblem.

The distraught families say they were tossed around by the red ants who burst into their shacks paying them no respect and tossing their property on the street in the process breaking some of their furniture. Others had to be called from work to find their belongings littered on the street. Women and children huddles in groups contemplating their plight while men were busy gathering together what they could salvage. Others with a bit of resources hired trucks to take their belonging elsewhere.

Those who agreed to talk said they were evicted from the two properties despite lease agreements to which they paid rent ranging from R250 to R500. Jacob Makonyane, Jonathan Mogano and Nancy Tshavhungwe who rushed back from work said they always paid the stipulated rent on time until a disagreement with the landlord a couple of years ago when he reneged on an agreement to improve their living conditions by replacing the wooden shacks, upgrading toilets, improving water supply and connecting electricity. “He had agreed on these but stopped communicating with us when we asked him for time lines for the improvements, and that’s when we stopped paying rent,” they said. They added that the rents were paid into his (landlord) account and sent middle men to effect payment from those who delayed but they too could not tell them when the developments would be done.

Several of them said their identity documents, children’s school books and other essential items were missing. George Nkwana said he had lost R1 900 club money which was to be deposited into a bank account and R290 for his child’s school transport. “I don’t how I will explain this to the club,” he said.

Another, Lawrence Lepota said he had seen some of the red ants counting money in one office but they shut the door when he enquired what they were doing. Also, he added that an eviction had been attempted on them in December but failed as there was no document authoring the process. The local Councillor had not arrived on site by the time this reporter was on the scene and also the owner of the stands nor his middle men couldn’t be contacted. Residents said the police were present during them eviction only to maintain law and order.

Scroll down for more pictures.

Initial report: 4 June 2014, 15:49pm – We have received reports of people getting evicted in Alexandra on 1st Avenue. It is believed that residents from an abandoned factory have been evicted as well. According to Erin Bates twitter handle, it was tweeted that JMPD and Red Ants had evicted families living in two abandoned factories.

According to reports, JMPD’s spokesman Wayne Minnar said that 1st Avenue and Awkwright in Alexandra are closed for evictions, residents have been advised to use 2nd Avenue.

View scenes from the eviction below:

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