This comes after the land owner, Living Africa Properties, sought a High Court order for the removal of more than 10 000 people who stay on the piece of land, known as ‘Angelo Dump’, located along Main Reef Road, Boksburg.
Following the sad news that their homes’ days are numbered, residents of the area have been for weeks eagerly awaiting for the metro reaction to such bad news.
“The Ekurhuleni metro has met with the land owner to discuss the matter of the court order obtained to evict residents living in Angelo.
“At this stage, we are exploring different solutions that will amicably resolve this matter. We will give a full statement once the matter has been concluded,’ says the metro’s spokesperson Themba Gadebe.
During a press conference between the Ekurhuleni mayor Clr Mondli Gungubele and Caxton East Rand and South editors, the issue of Angelo was raised, and he (Gungubele) promised this publication that he would look into the matter.
As the eviction date is drawing closer, uneasy feelings among residents are growing and they feel marginalised.
They threatened to take up arms against the eviction, should all other means of resolving the problem fail.
Before an eviction order is carried out, the residents want the municipality to intervene and arrange alternative land for them.
The residents, however, state that they will only accept the offer (a new place) on conditions that it is within Boksburg, and each of them is provided with a permanent stand with running water.
“We do not want a temporary relocation area. We want permanent stands. The government have been promising us better lives during electioneering periods; now is the time to deliver.
“The municipality must not tell us that there isn’t enough time to satisfy our demands before D-day, because we have been for all these years begging them to buy this land and build us RDP houses.
“They should have acted long before the owner decided to evict us,” says the leader.
Failure to meet their demands, the residents warned that they will defend their homes with anti-eviction protests, and indicated that they are intending to apply for an urgent court interdict to stop their evictions.
James Thomas of Living Africa confirmed that an eviction order has been granted requiring the property to be vacated by February 1, 2015.
Should the evictions go ahead, more than 10 000 people will be left homeless. @FanieBoksburg
