July 2001 Africa News Headlines

Friday, July 13, 2001 - Web posted at 10:41:02 GMT

SA squatters in agony as shacks are demolished
ANELE KA NENE

JOHANNESBURG - Devastated squatters watched over their possessions as a team of workers broke down their shacks at Bredell near Kempton Park yesterday afternoon.

Martha Magwagwa, 34, said she wanted to go back home in Tembisa where she previously lived with her family.

"I don't know how I'm going to get there because I don't have transport and my husband is in jail. He was arrested here last week for trespassing."

"Thousands of squatters have moved into the area since about a month ago after "buying" plots of land at R25 apiece from Pan Africanist Congress supporters.

The property, Elandsfontein farm, is jointly owned by the government, a private company and Transnet.

The Pretoria High Court on Tuesday gave the squatters 48 hours to leave, or face eviction.

About 200 workers from the firm Maclegal Security started dismantling shacks at lunchtime, and had broken down about 100 of them by 2pm.

Magwagwa arrived at Bredell last week.

She said she was disappointed by the court's decision to evict the occupants without making provision for alternative land.

Mavis Tshabalala, 22, hastily removed her belongings and gathered her children as the eviction workers approached her makeshift home.

In agony, Tshabalala pleaded with them to wait until all her belongings had been removed.

She said the R25 she paid for her plot had gone down the drain.

The PAC had misled her, Tshabalala said."

"I came all the way from Dobsonville to find Myself a place to stay. Now I am deserted. I need my money back."

Maclegal Security representative Pierre Retief said the evictions were going fairly well.

"We are satisfied with the police presence. Our main job is to dismantle the shacks without having to vandalise or break the possessions of the squatters," Retief said. - Nampa-Sapa

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