Durban - The demolition of homes in Inanda on Wednesday was a sign of things to come, said the municipality.
ANC councillor Zandile Gumede, who is in a race for leadership of the party’s eThekwini region, had harsh words for the community of Amaoti in Inanda where three houses were demolished on Wednesday, saying she would continue ordering that homes built on municipal land be taken down.
In a media briefing at her office in Amaoti on Thursday, Gumede said the law was on their side and they were determined to continue with the operations.
“We are doing our job as the government and we are acting lawfully,” she said.
Gumede said there was no way they would allow people to remain on land earmarked for low-cost housing projects.
“Even my house, which had four rooms, was demolished because I had built on land that was not lawfully mine.
“We want people, even those whom we have not reached, to know that we mean business. We will demolish the houses,” she said.
Gumede said several meetings had been held in different communities and people had been warned not to build houses because they were going to be removed, “but they never listened to us”.
On Wednesday, the house of Maria Tekana, 56, which she said was worth R250 000, was demolished. She was left homeless, as were two other families whose houses were bulldozed.
She said it was politically motivated, but Gumede denied that.
Gumede said the matter of demolition of houses went way back before the battle for leadership of the region started.
She said they knew it was painful for people, “but we are exercising the law. We want people to know that they must listen to the government”.
There is tension in the Amaoti community after Wednesday’s events.
Gumede was accompanied by police when she visited the area on Thursday.
The Mercury