Several residents in Ward 96, Marikana, Ekurhuleni, have been left homeless after what they claim was an eviction.
However, the City of Ekurhuleni has dismissed these claims, stating that the situation was a land invasion.
The affected residents reported that they paid between R5 000 and R15 000 to two individuals who claimed to have inherited the land from their ancestors.
The Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) intervened on Tuesday, removing the so-called land grabbers who had occupied the area for eight months.
One resident expressed frustration, stating: “The metro police did not issue a notice; there is no paper that communicated that we are illegally occupying the place. They destroyed our shacks and took away the corrugated iron we used to construct them. We are not going anywhere; we have paid a lot of money to get to this place.”
Another resident lamented that only a few shacks were destroyed during the police operation, adding that some individuals were injured and required medical attention at Far East Hospital.
“We bought the stands from Nkosinathi Nkosi and Andile Dlamini. We found them already living in this area, and more people bought stands from them. We are stranded and have no other place to go. Some of us moved here hoping to start a new chapter, and now this has happened,” she said.
The residents also mentioned that they felt threatened by one of the men involved in the land sales, which is why they chose to speak anonymously.
“Since Tuesday, we have slept outside; the children are not going to school, and we are using tyres to make fire to cook,” another resident explained.
One woman shared her story, saying: “The reason I live here with my children is that we fought a lot with their father to the point that I stabbed him. I feared I would end up behind bars, so I came here with my children.”
Last Thursday, the residents apprehended Nkosi and Dlamini, leading to a case of fraud being registered at the Putfontein police station.
In an interview with The Star, Andile admitted that he and Nkosi had sold the stands to the residents. He confirmed their arrest last week and their subsequent release on R1 500 bail on Monday.
“I can confirm that we did sell stands to the people. We are currently seeking a solution to this problem. When the people opened a case against us, we did not think the EMPD would demolish their homes. We are trying to assist them in occupying the space because they paid for the stands,” Andile stated.
Zweli Dlamini, spokesperson for the City of Ekurhuleni, confirmed that this was not an eviction but rather a response to a land invasion.
“The two men were arrested for illegally selling land to community members. The EMPD Land Invasion unit intervened to remove those people, which is why we have this unit in the first place — to tackle land invasions,” he said.
Although the residents claim that they inherited the land, Dlamini stated that they must provide proof of ownership to validate their claims.
As of the time of print, Gauteng Provincial SAPS spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo had not responded to inquiries regarding the situation.
The Star