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COLD COMFORT: Wedson Kapene, 77, says that his shack in Ennerdale South was demolished by metro police who were watched by the local councillor. PHOTO: VATHISWA RUSEL |
The residents said they were taken by a surprise when they saw a metro police truck and other metro police vehicles arriving in the area with officers armed with crowbars and hammers. They said the metro police, who were accompanied by the local ward councillor, Thembalethu Nyembe, picked on four shacks and started demolishing them one after the other.
One of the victims of the unexpected raid, Momonaheng Putsoane, was left homeless with her five children .
“I don’t know what to do. I was called at work at about 1pm that my shack was being destroyed. When I arrived I found the councillor with metro police dismantling it. They took corrugated iron sheets away and said I would get them at the metro police offices when I wanted them,” Putsoane, a domestic worker, said .
Another resident, Sanna Bojang, said Nyembe had told her to occupy Putsoane’s stand.
“I am not going to leave. Mamonaheng (Putsoane) was brought here last month after she was moved from another stand. They will also relocate me. I have lived in this area since 1990,” said Bojang, a mother of three.
Nyembe admitted that he was present during the demolition of the shacks but said the department of housing had instigated the incident.
“Those people are there illegally. What happened today is the lawful relocation ,” Nyembe said.
Nyembe said he did not have the contact details of the officials from the department of housing.
Four families were yesterday left out in the cold at Ennerdale South informal settlement when their shacks were destroyed by the local councillor and Johannesburg metro police.
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