Only relevant govt depts can evict people – Mkhonto
ALEXANDRA –Evicted family, school children share open space with waste collector
A family that was illegally evicted from their Alex home a month ago by a group called Dudula is out in the cold.
The widowed mother and six children now squat in an open space used by waste collectors barely a hundred metres from their former, brick and mortar home in a neatly arranged row of houses on Goal Street in Ext 7.
Her husband from Mozambique who died in 2007 was seemingly a regularised citizen. He and the wife Veronica Gazide who was born in Bushbuckridge are stated in the title deeds and government housing subsidy documents as the owners of the house.
The family is now only protected by a flimsy, hastily constructed fence and two shacks containing only two beds and a few essential possessions. The rest of their household items are strewn outside. Other items allegedly disappeared during the eviction.
“They are literary out in the open and vulnerable to weather elements and criminals,” said Shadrack Mkhonto, DA proportional representative councillor in the area.
“It’s a sad, distressing and tragic act of human insensitivity and treatment of others and reflects ineptness and failure by authorities to apply the rule of law.”
This he said in reference to the illegal evictions seemingly occurring unimpeded almost every weekend leaving most residents in fear of who will be next.
Mkhonto said the perpetrators’ whose legal status is unknown, are emboldened when security and justice agencies don’t protect rightful owners of the houses and court cases for reported perpetrators remain pending for a long time. “It’s nonsense and criminal for persons acting illegally to instil fear in residents over their homes, destroy and steal property in the process and reallocate the houses without following due process.” This he said appalled that the group members are allegedly armed and violent. “This will be raised with the police as its alleged they are sometimes told of the evictions but do not respond.”
Those seen to help the victims are said to also be targeted. This possibly explains why the family is out in the ‘cold’. Mkhonto said the problems also requires the intervention of other departments to ensure victims’ social and health protection. This he said after attempts by the City’s Department of Social Development seemingly failed to have them temporarily housed in a shelter for abused women. As a result, “Three of my school-going siblings are severely traumatised and their education affected. Teachers concerned about their changed performance in class visited us to express heir concern,” their sister Nolitha said adding that they have no electricity for the children’s evening homework.
“They now walk to school after their transport arrangements and we beg from neighbours to bath, for laundry and cook in the open. “We can’t cope with the trauma which is more severe on the younger ones whose secure lives were disrupted by an illegal act,” the mother (Veronica) said while displaying the title deeds and birth certificates of children all born at a local clinic.
She suggested the perpetrators took advantage of her deceased husband. “They even took me to home affairs where my citizenship was affirmed and were told that housing matters should be resolved by the Department of Housing, but they still evicted us.”
This Mkhonto said, “It’s rights abuse. “Only the police and relevant government officials have the power to investigate persons’ citizenship.”
In an earlier addition of Alex News’ RDP eviction chaos, the group said they weren’t vigilantes and would continue the evictions that return RDP houses to rightful owners said to be on a long-standing housing waiting list.
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