Durban - A family living in Clare Estate claim that they were forced to flee in the dead of night by irate neighbours, who accused them of voting for the DA instead of the ANC in last month’s local government elections.
The Maharaj family from Chiltern Drive claimed fellow residents hurled rocks at their wood-and-iron home, damaged their bathroom and toilet, called them “coolies” and threatened to kill them after a DA councillor, Xolani Nala, took over Ward 23.
Anitha Maharaj, 49, her daughter, Preesha, 21, and son Nikiel, 11, are now staying with family in Phoenix. Her youngest daughter, she said, was staying at a children’s home.
Maharaj, who is unemployed, said she was ill and had not even voted during the elections, and her daughter, also jobless, had not registered to vote.
The family said they could not fathom who had spread the false information that led to their lives being endangered.
Maharaj said her two sisters, who live close by, had not been affected by the chaos.
She said Nala was notified of the incident and wanted the affected parties to meet, but she refused to return to the area because she was too afraid.
Nala said that those alleged to have led the attacks against the family had denied any wrongdoing.
The ANC in KZN has condemned the incident, saying they would investigate the allegations, and if it was found that those who wreaked havoc at the Maharaj home were from the party, the ANC would take action against them.
Relating what had happened, Maharaj said: “On August 21 at around 11.30pm, I was at home with my two children and my daughter’s boyfriend. All of a sudden, I heard screaming and swearing. A group of people had congregated outside and were shouting that Indians must go back to India. They were intimidating us, but we did not know why.”
She added that she and her family were too scared to go outside to find out.
“We have been living with them for about 20 years, and they used to trouble us before and call us coolies. We complained to the previous councillor (ANC), but nothing was done.”
The group, said Maharaj, were there for about an hour before they dispersed.
Maharaj said that on the morning of August 25, one of the informal dwellers told her that they were angry that they voted for the DA.
“I explained that I had not voted, and my daughter was not registered to vote, but he was not interested. He said they would not allow us to live in peace and we would suffer.”
Her daughter, Preesha, said: “That evening, when my mother went to visit my aunt in Phoenix, a group of about 60 people came back. Using tree logs, they started breaking things. They also threw stones at our house.
“One had a bush knife and another, a crowbar. We were terrified they were going to kill us. During the commotion, we heard them accuse us of voting for the DA.”
While they did not gain access into the house, the group damaged the family’s toilet and bathroom at the back of the tin home.
Preesha said they fortunately managed to escape to the house of her boyfriend’s grandmother nearby.
“I had no shoes but I ran!”
The person who had spoken to her mother that morning, she said, had spotted and followed her.
“He insisted I come out of the house, but the granny shouted back, telling him I could not do that.”
The man left but returned, looking for her, said Preesha.
This time the grandmother said Preesha had left, although she was inside with her younger brother and boyfriend. Before the man left, the granny’s window was allegedly broken.
The following day (August 26), Maharaj returned to pick up her children. But she was spotted in the area.
She was forced to seek refuge with her children in the grandmother’s bedroom as a group milled around outside waiting for them.
When it was safe, they left for Phoenix.
Maharaj said she was not prepared to return home after “we were threatened with death”.
They are now hoping to be placed on the housing list to get an RDP home.
“We are homeless,” she said, as she showed a photograph of how part of their home had been destroyed.
“I called my neighbours and was told they (the group) are waiting for us. My sister said she did not think we should return.”
The DA provincial leader, Zwakele Mncwango, said he intended to meet with the family to discuss the matter and find a solution.
ANC provincial secretary Super Zuma said: “We condemn violence. We will investigate the matter and if they (the group) are found to be ANC members, we will act.”
Police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Thulani Zwane said a case of malicious damage to property had been opened after a house was destroyed. “No arrests have been made,” he said.
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