Johannesburg - With no access to water, electricity or toilets, 20 families have been living in a tent since they were evicted by the Red Ants last week.
The families, including a one-month-old baby and a heavily pregnant woman, had illegally occupied houses since March, at the Kanana housing project in Kanana Park Extension 3, south of Joburg.
The housing project was launched by President Jacob Zuma in August last year. According to the Presidency, Zuma handed over more than 200 new houses to the residents of Kanana Park Extension 3. This was following his visit to Sweetwaters and Thulamntwana in May and July 2010, where he saw residents living in uninhabitable conditions.
This week, the families said they had been left stranded because of the evictions. They had lived in Sweetwaters before moving to Kanana Park.
On finding the families left out in the cold, Kay Vee Hiring, a company in Ennerdale, donated a tent and 150 blankets. However, this was not enough to protect the children from the cold.
“We use the bushes to relieve ourselves, burn fires for cooking and ask for water from nearby houses who are now frustrated with us,” said Ethel nine-month-pregnant Mkorwana, 34.
The evictees had been living in the houses since March. “We don’t disagree that we illegally occupied the houses, but our children don’t have to suffer like this,” she said.
However, a resident of Kanana Park Extension 3, who wanted to remain anonymous, disagreed. “You can’t feel pity for people who are breaking the law. They just illegally occupied those houses, they are wrong because they wanted to jump the queue on the list for houses.”
Mkorwana said: “There’s already a one-month-old baby living here, I don’t want to give birth in this cold tent.”
The tent houses 18 women, 17 children and six men.
Councillor Vasco Da Gama, of the DA, said: “The city had the right to evict them. But they should have been given a 14-day notice of eviction so they could find alternative accommodation.
“We are human, how can a one-month-old baby and a heavily pregnant woman live there?”
But he said the evictees were wrong to illegally occupy the houses. Palesa More, a spokeswoman for housing MMC Bonakelo Bovu, said the MMC had held a meeting with the evictees and asked them to move back to their shacks.
“There were over 200 invaders at that time. The majority of them voluntarily went back to their shacks, but a few remained in the houses,” she said.
More said they did not receive emergency shelter because they had been requested to move back to their shacks.
“MMC Bovu went there and offered to assist them back to their shacks. He even said those who had problems should consult with the housing officials in Region G who would provide assistance.
“Only 11 of the 29 families took up the offer, while the rest decided to remain in the tent,” said More.
Saturday Star