An Alex family has sought court mediation after being illegally evicted from a temporary council-owned shelter by someone claiming ownership.
The shelter – made of corrugated iron sheets on 8th Avenue – is part of a number of units that are for transit occupation.
The family of four, two of whom are schoolchildren, had their belongings thrown out and broken by a group of men said to have been hired by the claimant of the shelter. This after the family had occupied the room since 2012.
Austin Dube, from the court’s mediation services, said the matter has been on and off since 2012 and, at one time, councillor Chris Mabunda intervened to stop the eviction attempts.
“The land and rooms belong to Council and are used as temporary housing, and not for rental. But some of the first occupants now assume they own them and rent them out to others. The evicted family was being charged R500 by the previous occupant [who is] claiming ownership,” said Dube.
He said that on the day of eviction, the claimant, who couldn’t be located, sought help from the police but they couldn’t assist her after realising the process wasn’t done correctly.
This, Dube said, was also after other residents at the transit camp complained to the police about the manner in which the family was treated and how their furniture was thrown out and broken.
He said the children and their mother had to seek alternative accommodation to shield them from any danger as their father was not present when the incident occurred.
Dube produced a letter dated July 2012 from the council’s housing department, stating that the rooms were council property, not to be rented out and that no one had a legal right to evict an occupant. It also stated that anyone claiming ownership should produce a title deed.
“The matter requires a collective effort involving the councillor and the Department of Housing,” he said.
Meanwhile, the family has been given temporary shelter by relatives while the mediation process is underway.
