Squatters evicted from Newlands West flats

17/12/2014 Durban Evicted mother Khethiwe Gumede was feeding her baby outside flat in Newland East. PICTURE: SIBUSISO NDLOVU

17/12/2014 Durban Evicted mother Khethiwe Gumede was feeding her baby outside flat in Newland East. PICTURE: SIBUSISO NDLOVU

Published Dec 18, 2014

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Durban - It was a bleak end to the year for residents illegally occupying 96 flats in Newlands West, when they were evicted and had their meagre belongings dumped on the roadside.

Public Order police on Wednesday used water cannon to control and disperse a group of about 100 residents who became disruptive and refused to move.

The squatters, among whom were children and the elderly, included Thulile Jele, who said she was 104 years old.

“I was living with my children and grandchildren. We are now looking to find alternative accommodation,” Jele said, sounding dejected.

The eviction was as a result of developer Woodglaze Trading, a company linked to controversial businessman Jay Singh, obtaining a Durban High Court order on November 21 against the squatters occupying the private Hilldale complex in Castle Hill Drive.

While they were to have moved out by December 2, by on Wednesday those occupying the 16 blocks, consisting of six flats each, remained defiant.

The sheriff of the court, assisted by police and a private security company, KwaZulu-Natal VIP Unit, enforced the court order.

“The eviction team were complying with court orders. The illegal occupants had been informed of the process. The occupants were under the mistaken impression that the property belonged to (the) eThekwini (Municipality),” said Woodglaze spokesman, Pastor Mervin Reddy.

“The developer had already identified tenants to rent the flats before it was invaded.”

Police and the security company arrived at 9am and began evicting families. Those not at home had their door locks broken and their items removed.

Several trucks belonging to Gralio Construction, another company linked to Singh, were loaded with furniture from each flat. The items were then offloaded on the verge in Newlands West Drive.

All cars in the complex parking lot were towed away and also left on the verges.

Angry residents hurled threats and obscenities at police and security guards.

In one of several heated exchanges, a resident poured what was thought to be human faeces and urine from a bucket on to some of the guards and Reddy, who were standing next to the trucks.

“It was just muddy water and not what we thought it was,” Reddy said later. “The heat dried us up in no time.”

A disgruntled resident, whose car was towed away, told police he only had respect for them because they were wearing uniforms. If not, they would be “beaten to a pulp”, he said.

The flats appeared to have been “booked” by people who had splashed their names boldly on the walls with paint. The units were incomplete and had no toilets.

Spokeswoman for the municipality, Tozi Mthethwa, said the city did not own the development. She said the city had “offloaded” parcels of land to a number of developers.

However, Mnikelo Ndabankulu, spokesman for the Mayibuye People’s Movement, said it was unfair that the residents were not provided with alternative accommodation.

“The land was earmarked for low-cost houses. When development took place, it raised hopes that their time had arrived to be housed,” he said.

“They were misled because it was a private development.”

Daily News

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