50 people have been evicted from Blikkiesdorp “O” Block today, November 6, 2009, and are now living and sleeping on the pavement at the entrance to Blikkiesdorp in Delft. “My child is one year and six months old – I am not going to sleep outside again” said community resident, Iris Davids, who was part of the eviction. Another resident, Sadica Abrahams stated “The people are cruel to make us sleep outside like this.”
The community was originally living in Beacon Valley in a tunnel under the R300 bridge. Three weeks ago, they were moved by the City and Law Enforcement from the Beacon Valley tunnel and relocated to Blikkiesdorp Temporary Relocation Area, but were never given papers regarding their move. When the city put them in Blikkiesdorp TRAs there were 8 families moved into 1 shack, although there are a number of empty shacks in Blikkiesdorp. “We were under these bridges and they put us in temporary accommodation – now temporary is throwing us out” says affected resident Iris Davids.
Today the Land Invasions Unit, a unit of Law Enforcement, decided to evict them from Blikkiesdorp illegally. The evictions from Blikkiesdorp did not happen under a court order and are therefore illegal.
Many people are sick and were never warned about the eviction. The Williams family (contact Clement Williams 0764076692) – one family affected by the eviction – was initially illegally evicted from the N2 Gateway house they were renting. The family then went to live in Beacon Valley underneath the bridge. They moved to Blikkiesdorp by the city and now are being evicted again. They say they have lodged three cases of fraud and illegal eviction with the provincial housing department with regards to the N2 Gateway house of which they were evicted. Each time they had gone to check on the case, it had been closed without an investigation happening. The N2 Gateway House where they were evicted from is still standing empty because the owner they were renting from has a second home.
The community of Blikkiesdorp is mobilizing to support the evicted residents. The community will try to put them back into the Blikkiesdorp TRAs.
For more information please contact Jerome 0730850940, Auntie Jane 0784031302, Auntie Badru 0728228109 and/or Stephen Malo 0730621309.
Stumble It!
