They stood by anxiously watching their homes being demolished. Bulldozers systematically and forcefully tore down walls and roofs, leaving piles of rubble in their wake.
Residents rushed to gather whatever they could salvage, angry and desperate.
This was the scene on Wednesday as about 1 800 Lanseria shack dwellers were evicted from Diteneng squatter camp, next to Lanseria Airport, Johannesburg, their home for the past 14 years.
Children's homework sheets and half-eaten loaves of bread lay scattered on the ground.
'These people with their small children will be sleeping outside again' Residents and local City of Johannesburg councillor Isaac Maela claim the eviction was illegal because the people were not served with notices. These, they say, were erroneously served on Malatje, a squatter camp next door.
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Maela stood by helplessly as the homes were razed. He tried frantically to phone the Johannesburg and Gauteng housing departments to find temporary accommodation for the people.
By 5pm no one had arrived and he was still waiting with the people. He had spent about 10 hours in the sun with them.
"These people with their small children will be sleeping outside again tonight. Thank goodness it is not too cold," the councillor said.
"Many of their belongings have been destroyed. The sheriff took away building materials such as the zinc sheets."
Maela said neither police nor the sheriff would listen when he tried to explain about the incorrect eviction orders. Instead police threatened to arrest him.
They would not believe he was the local councillor despite him showing his identity tag. "They were very nasty and would not listen to anyone," he said.
Residents believe the shacks are being demolished to make way for a golf estate.
Thuli Dube, a community worker, said she and the rest of the people had nowhere to go.
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