Evicted occupants from Sabie Extension 10 left sleeping on the streets

“The municipality has finally evicted the unlawful occupiers of the RDP houses at Extension 10 in Sabie, giving effect to the eviction order that had been obtained in November,” said Themba Sibiya, spokesperson of TCLM.

“TCLM had since held back on the implementation of the order to allow for proper consultation with all relevant stakeholders. Due consideration and the respect of human rights were observed by the municipality during the process, as some of the illegal occupiers were elderly and people with disabilities,” said  Sibiya.

However, Rylant Malatjie, one of the illegal occupiers, disagrees and said they were made to feel like dogs when evicted. The RDP houses were completed in 2016 and stood unoccupied for about a year and a half. During this time, according to the occupiers, nyaope addicts vandalised the houses and stole copper cables, sinks and other materials.

This is why they decided to start living there in 2018. The occupiers claim there was no water or electricity in the houses when they moved in.

According to another of the residents, Walter Mashego, their case was brought to court numerous times, the last time on October 12. After this date, they were informed by their lawyer that they were still waiting for a court date to appeal the eviction order.

They thus consider the eviction illegal. However, Sibiya said the lawyer entered into an agreement with the municipality. “After an exchange of court applications, the legal representative of the unlawful occupiers withdrew as their attorney.

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After the TCLM filed its own papers, the occupiers appointed a new attorney. In mid-2019, the sheriff served another notice for motion for eviction on the occupiers. The matter went back to court late 2019 where an eviction order was granted in favour of TCLM, after the legal representatives of the unlawful occupiers entered into a settlement agreement to have the eviction order granted against the unlawful occupiers.”

According to Rylant Malatjie, another resident, the list of beneficiaries for the houses kept changing. He claims some of these lists do not even have the municipality’s official letterhead visible. Malatjie accused the municipal officers of typing their own list.

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Mashego agreed and said the list they had gotten hold of prior to occupying the RDP houses contained names of municipal officials, police, nurses and more. The occupiers claim they have applied for the RDP housing, but their names no longer appear anywhere.

Malatjie said these houses are supposed to be allocated to “the poorest of the poor”, but the municipality selects only the “right” people. They also claim these people earn more than R8 500 a month. According to the Department of Human Settlements, a person who qualifies for an RDP house must earn less than
R3 500 per month per household.

Sibiya said, “After the eviction, houses were then allocated to the rightful beneficiaries in a process overseen by the Department of Human Settlements and the Housing Division of TCLM.”

Lowvelder attempted to contact the lawyer in question, but he could not be reached.