Following BCM’s eviction of illegal home invaders in Reeston last week, the UDM in the metro wants the city to build within seven days temporary shelter for those who were forcefully removed.
The party said the temporary houses must have proper sanitation, water and security.
UDM councillor Anele Skoti said the provision of temporary houses must be implemented by city manager Mxolisi Yawa, under the direct supervision of BCM mayor Princess Faku.
Skoti’s comments come after the city and the Eastern Cape human settlements department contracted the services of controversial Gauteng-based eviction specialists Red Ants Security Group to enforce the eviction orders against home invaders in Chicken Farm and Reeston on October 16.
The housing project consisted of 840 housing units, and while many were not completed amid a contractual standoff, about half were invaded and illegally occupied more than five years ago.
This meant the rightful owners were prevented from moving into their state-sponsored homes.
The party described the evictions as a “humiliation” and a direct violation of Section 26 of the constitution and the Prevention of Illegal Eviction and Unlawful Occupation of Land Act (PIE Act), which prohibit evictions without adequate notice, due process and provision of alternative accommodation.
Skoti said that during the eviction process, doors were kicked down, residents were allegedly assaulted, and household furniture, beds, clothing and personal belongings were thrown into trucks and dumped at the municipal landfill site.
“Many items were broken, stolen or damaged beyond repair. What was once the furniture of a home was reduced to waste overnight.
“For 23 days, men, women and children have been living beside the road, exposed to heavy rain and cold winds, sleeping among the remnants of their destroyed possessions.
“Some continue to search through piles of rubbish to retrieve what little remains of their belongings,” he said.
Skoti said the destruction of personal property constituted malicious damage to property and gross misconduct by those who executed the order.
“The affected residents argue that they are not illegal occupants.
“They are beneficiaries of the Reeston Phase 2 housing project, land that was originally fought for under the leadership of late councillor Lameki Mlingwana. ”
He said the houses had been vandalised for years and were “re-occupied by local families [who] believe they are the rightful beneficiaries”.
Displaced resident Sweetnes Ngeke said on Monday that they had been left in the cold since the evictions took place on October 16.
“We have children here and elderly who are on chronic medication, nothing is being done and we hear other places received donations and the city is sidelining anything that should be coming to us,” she said.
She confirmed that the UDM had visited the area and was awaiting feedback from them.
Scores of residents were still on the streets with their furniture in the open.
Skoti further demanded full replacement or compensation for all personal belongings and furniture destroyed or dumped during the eviction.
He demanded that Faku table a report to council detailing the losses, the cost of restitution and the disciplinary action to be taken against officials who authorised or participated in the destruction of property.
He called for a transparent investigation into the Reeston Phase 2 housing allocations and the conduct of officials and Red Ants during the eviction.
“The municipal speaker must convene an urgent council oversight inquiry, assisted by the Eastern Cape department of human settlements and the office of the MEC for co-operative governance and traditional affairs, to establish who authorised the operation, who benefited and whether due process was followed,” Skoti said.
Earlier, BCM spokesperson Bongani Fuzile said the evictions, which he described as peaceful, followed months of engagement between the metro and the illegal residents.
“Despite repeated pleas, formal notices and court orders urging the illegal occupants to vacate the properties, a significant number continued to occupy the houses, preventing rightful beneficiaries from taking ownership.
“BCM enlisted the services of the Red Ants Security Group, SAPS members and municipal law enforcement teams to assist in executing the court-sanctioned eviction order.
“The municipality ensured that all necessary legal and social measures were in place before proceeding,” Fuzile said.
Fuzile said temporary shelters had been provided for individuals and families who had voluntarily vacated the RDP units before the eviction and efforts were under way to allocate the homes to their rightful owners.
Skoti said they were considering submitting a formal complaint with video and photographic evidence to the South African Human Rights Commission.
Daily Dispatch
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