Botched eviction leads to violence on Albertina Sisulu

An attempt by the council to evict the residents of 36 Albertina Sisulu Road turned into violence just before noon today (1 October).

Two months ago, according to the residents, a security company representing the Department of Infrastructure Development (DID) informed them verbally that they were to vacate the premises. Yesterday the security company staff arrived and said they had to leave today. This morning when the security company arrived and started removing the residents’ belongings a group of community leaders from Princess informal settlement came to stop the eviction and started pelting the security officers with rocks. The latter in return fired rubber bullets at them.

Police officers arrived at the scene just after 12pm and calmed the situation. They declared the eviction illegal since there was no eviction order. The security company was reprimanded also for the unnecessary use of force.

One of the residents, Osca Mathe, says most of the approximately 10 residents have been living on the property for the past five years and have been paying rent to the occupant of the house who moved out on Tuesday. It is unclear whether he was a legal tenant.

Mathe also says he does not know where his family of four will go if they are evicted.