Resident devastated following forced removal of shack dwellers
Resident claims the EMPD destroyed homes and possessions without warning.
Rosemary Tsaganis was devastated when the make-shift homes found on the corner of Black Reef Road and Radio Street in Elsiehof were recently destroyed by EMPD officers.
She claimed the shacks had been there for years before they were destroyed without warning.
“The residents were given no warning before the EMPD arrived and began destroying their homes,” alleged Tsaganis.
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Kobeli Mokheseng, media liaison officer for the EMPD, said this is untrue.
“The residents were given notice,” he said.
“Notice would have been given by the owners of the land, as it is private property, and by EMPD officials at least a week before residents were removed from the area.”
He further explained that though it was unclear how long the homes had been on the land they were removed because they were illegal structures on private land that is not conducive for habitation.
When asked who had given the order to have the residents removed, Mokheseng said, “Municipal officials and stakeholders responsible for the land gave the order.
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“After their removal, residents were advised to visit the nearest metro customer care centre to attain more information from the housing and human settlement department as to where they could find alternative accommodation.”
Tsaganis stated she did not believe the EMPD and their reasoning and was planning to take the matter further.
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