Bongani Hans
NTOMBIFIKILE Colomba’s luck in having a low-cost house, where she thought she would raise her two-year-old nephew, came to an abrupt end yesterday. She and more than 500 other residents were kicked out of houses near Mariannhill yesterday.
This came after eThekwini municipality workers, accompanied by heavily armed law enforcement officers, moved into the Ekuphumuleni area and evicted the illegal occupants of more than 200 homes during a raid, which started on Wednesday. The houses are part of the R30 million Inkan-yeni Housing project that began in 1997.
The eviction came after the municipality obtained an eviction order from Durban High Court on December 15.
The houses, whose legal owners could not be traced, were invaded and illegally occupied last year. Colomba, who is from Mthatha in the Eastern Cape, moved into the house in September.
However, late last year the beneficiaries of the two-room houses emerged after they had been informed through a newspaper that their houses were ready.
Municipal spokesman Thabo Mofokeng said pleas to the illegal occupants to vacate had fallen on deaf ears. The occupants had also been served with eviction papers, which they had ignored.
They will be in court today to appeal against the order.
“During apartheid we were oppressed by white people, now we are being oppressed by black people,” said Non-hlanhla Thabethe.
“I voted for this government but never again.”
She said she had been allocated a house by ward councillor Nomvula Shembe.
He denied this.
The illegal occupants said they had paid up to R8 000 to local leaders for the houses.
“Those who claim to have paid for the houses should report the matter to the police because it is illegal to sell those houses,” said Mofokeng.
