JOHANNESBURG SOUTH – Occupants of the Gerda Court flats in Rosettenville at Mable Street were left heartbroken and homeless after a gang of men destroyed their home and pepper-sprayed a toddler during an illegal eviction.
On Sunday January 11, most of the residents were woken and shocked to see a gang of at least 80 men break doors, windows, cupboards, toilet seats and taps, leaving the flat uninhabitable.
According to the occupants of the flat, the gang broke the door and started spraying the flat while they were asleep and that’s how the young baby girl was affected in the eyes and the lungs.
Residents of the flat said that these men demanded that they vacate the flat, which is allegedly owned by Lehlohonolo Mokotla, who has been threatening them for a while now.
Desmond Adams, father of the affected baby said: “Even if Lehlohonolo purchased the property, he should have produced certified documents to prove he owns the property so that we could talk about whether he wants us out or he wants to lease the flat to us. All we got from him was a letter printed from a Gmail email address.
“But still, we would have no problem paying rent if he owned it, because we did speak to Tuhf about the property and they knew we were the current occupants.
“Lehlohonolo did not do things the right way. He came here last year and destroyed the water meter and pipes and also the electricity circuit. We went to get a court order ordering him to reconnect both water and electricity supplies on December 30 as they belonged to the council, but he did not,” Desmond said
Witnesses believe some of the men Lehlohonolo brought with him to the flat were collected on the streets of La Rochelle, where they waited for work.
DA councillor Faeeza Chame told the COURIER that Lehlohonolo will have to produce proof that he is indeed the owner of the property. But he will also have to understand that some of the occupants of the flat have been living there for decades and their children go to school in the area, and he cannot just expect them to vacate the area.
“For now we want to get a court order against Lehlohonolo so that he does not go anywhere near the flat until the case is solved.”
Occupants of the flat have no water, toilet bowls and electricity. They find it very difficult, because their children have started going to school.
A case has been opened with the Moffatview police.
The COURIER could not reach Lehlohonolo for his side of the story.
