On 23 February, Metro police raided the west bank of the Braamfontein Spruit opposite the Field and Study Park and proceeded to burn the belongings of some of the squatters living there.
This is an illegal act as confirmed by Colonel King when I questioned him about this at a meeting. It is tantamount to malicious damage to property.
Regardless of who the person is they do not have the legal right to do this, especially to those trying to survive in the open with virtually nothing.
The residents are quick to complain about them, but few seem to realise they are human beings and can not just be done away with like inanimate objects.
Nimbyism is alive and well in our area. This is not just our problem, it is a problem the length of the spruit.
Many are brought here from Lesotho by developers with promises of jobs and good wages. They are employed on building sites, paid less than promised, hence the squatter problem, and on completion of the project are paid very little so they have to look for another job.
To those loud voices, instead of complaints, what are your answers to this problem?
Come and be a part of the solution if there is one. They, and I mean all squatters not just those I know, are not going to disappear in a puff of smoke.
