Government evicts tenants weeks after election promises

In a rare display of political solidarity, representatives of the DA and EFF joined hands to support evicted tenants of a low income housing project.

The Tshedzane housing complex in Lambert Street is run by the Johannesburg Social Housing Company (Joshco) who, according to one of their representatives, has the government as its major shareholder. The representative refused to supply her name.

One of the evicted tenants, Reatile Moalusi, who with other evicted tenants were standing on the pavement with all their worldly possessions showed the Roodepoort record the eviction notice. The notice was given on 2 May 2012 by the court but only collected on 19 June 2013. The affected residents only received the notice on the eve and morning of 27 May.

According to the tenants, they were promised that after four years of residence they would receive ownership but this did not happen. Nine people together with their dependents were given notice of eviction. One of them is 56-year-old Miriam Monanetsi, who has three school-going dependents.

Sitting on the pavement, the obviously distraught Monanetsi told of how her three children would be coming home to ‘no home’ that afternoon.

Another evicted tenant, 54-year-old Sharon du Toit, was very critical of the government.

“We receive housing subsidies but do not know where it goes. Although I am unemployed I try and pay my rent every month. They (the government) promised us before the election that the evictions would not take place but now that they received our votes they want to kick us out. What happened to the bathopele (‘people first’) principle,” asked Du Toit. She also claims that there are tenants who owe far more, in the region of R50 000, that is not getting evicted.

Most tenants are also dismayed by the fact that no alternative accommodation has been supplied and that Joshco has only offered to store their belongings for three days, regardless of the short notice.

David Masima, Community Support Officer (CSO) for the DA had the following to say.

“This is not political that is why me and my colleague from the EFF are here to support the community. If this eviction is legal then why have they not at least supplied accommodation for these people? Is this how much the government respect their electorate by kicking them out of their homes days after the elections? This is what we have been trying to warn the people about. This is what voting for the ANC leads to,” said Masima.

“Joshco is about social housing. It is a joke though. In one breath the government has promised housing while at the same time they are evicting people. There is also a huge human rights transgression here. How can you just put a grandmother and her children out on the street,” asked the exasperated Masima.

EFF convener for sub-region B and C, Khatu Khedzi, also heavily criticised the government.

“The government has failed to be fair to the people. Evicting people just after the election shows that they just wanted votes. This is another reason the EFF will keep on pursuing expropriation of land without compensation. We would not have this problem if we could give our people their own land on which to build their own homes. This government evades being held accountable and we hope that the people will see this, ” said Khedzi.

Joshco has supplied their CEO’s , Rory Gallagher, contact details and promised that they will comment and clarify their decision but he could not be reached.

Joshco’s comment will be published as soon as contact can be made with Gallagher.