In the wake of the evictions that took place in Windsor East last week, many residents have debated the ethics of such a situation on social media.
The Randburg Sun spoke to Greg Vermaak of Vermaak and Partners Attorneys, who served as the prosecution against the Windsor Community Recovery Movement in a court case against them and the residents, to better understand the events that took place on 17 April.
READ: IN PICTURES: Mass evictions take place in Windsor
Vermaak said, “This was a deliberate rental boycott, where the Windsor Community Recovery Movement (WCRM) discouraged people from paying rent and encouraged them to pay rent into their account.
“They intimidated people and misled them into following their procedures and were criminal in their actions. They should be held to account.”
The boycott took place over a wide number properties, which affected a large number of property owners.
According to Vermaak, the money that the residents have paid into that account has not been lost as the account has been frozen.
He continued, “There are bad buildings in Windsor, but there are also good. My clients are the owners of decent buildings where there are only minor problems.
“The judge in the case found the actions of both the residents and the Windsor Community Recovery Movement to be unconstitutional, as it is against the law to withhold rent from the rightful property owners. There are mechanisms in place for complaints between the landlords and tenants put in place by the state, and my clients tried whatever they could to avoid evictions.
“Ultimately, the defendants dug their heels in and refused to budge from their boycott. After the extensive legal process, they were evicted.”
Vermaak also stated that the evicted tenants were warned well in advance of the court order for the evictions to take place.
He added, “The way that an eviction order takes place is that it gives people the opportunity to vacate voluntarily, and in this case, the period was two months.
“I believe that both the tenants and the Windsor Community Recovery Movement were at fault. They both engaged in the boycott, and they were warned of the consequences.”
Vermaak also stated that the WCRM promised to look after their people’s needs, which they did not, to their own detriment.
When asked whether or not he knew if the tenants had places to go to after being evicted, Vermaak said, “Due to the amount of time given to these residents, they have all made other arrangements, and I can confidently say that there is no resident living on the street.”
Vermaak also stated that there is no obligation from the state to provide accommodation for individuals who are capable of paying a monthly rental.
“It is only the desperately poor, in other words, those living in makeshift housing and derelict inner city buildings who are entitled to alternative accommodation,” he said.
Vermaak also said that the process of evictions in Windsor was not over as there are many other property owners who are facing the same issue.
The WCRM refused to speak further to the Randburg Sun.
