Alleged pastor evicts children from shelter

Neighbours and supporters of a children’s shelter are outraged after the owner of the house, allegedly a pastor, has evicted the children and caretaker, and literally left them out on the street.

Minor chaos reigned on Tuesday (28 October) when the sheriff of the court arrived at 11 Rose Street and evicted caretaker Mavis Sehemo and 29 children from the house from which she has run Khayalitsha Project Children since 2008. Most of the children used to live on the streets and have been with Sehemo for as long as 10 years, even when she lived on another premises in Johannesburg. When the record visited the house the next day all its contents and the children’s belongings were left standing on the pavement. The children had to spend the night outside to protect their belongings. Child Welfare allegedly wanted to relocate the children to Braamfontein and Westonaria but since they are in schools in the area and writing exams this was not possible.

According to Sehemo she had permission from the owner to live in the house and it never was indicated to her that they had to vacate the house until she received the eviction order on 21 August. The owner’s attorney Des Naidoo assured her several times that she could stay, says Sehemo. Now she and the children are stranded with nowhere to go. Neighbours are cooking for the children and supplying them with water, and they do not know whether they will have to spend more nights on the sidewalk.

However, Naidoo tells a slightly different story.

“We filed five applications for eviction and not once did she oppose it. Even on the day when the eviction was granted she did not oppose it. Only six days later she met with me and said she understood the neighbours’ complaints,” says Naidoo.

Naidoo says although Sehemo could use the house as a shelter she had to pay water and electricity, but failed to do so with the money she received from donations. Eventually the bill ran into an excess of R300 000. He also claims neighbours complained about drug use and shebeen-style parties at the house, and the owner was concerned about the fact that adults were living on the premises that was intended as a place of safety for children.

A direct neighbour of the shelter, Linda Becker, who has been involved closely with the house and even supplied it with water for seven months after it was cut, differs strongly with Naidoo.

“It is a shame that a man who portrays himself as a reborn Christian can put children on the street,” says Becker. She also disputes the fact that any neighbours complained and says there were only one or two minor incidents. Becker explains that the adults living there were fellow pastors of the owner to whom the latter gave permission to live there. One of these pastors who were supposed to play a caretaker role allegedly allowed Zimbabwean nationals to rent rooms. These occupants allegedly had prostitutes over regularly. According to Becker Sehemo was misled into thinking that everything was in order so that she did not have to oppose the eviction applications.

Janet Fourie of the Weltevreden Methodist Church and Sally France of Africa Food for Thought, both supporters of the church, was on the scene to try and help find storage for the children’s belongings and a temporary shelter. Both women confirmed that there has never been complaints from the neighbours and said they were saddened by the turn of events.

A third neighbour, also a minister, who wanted to remain anonymous, called it a “disgrace that a minister would evict children”. He also questioned whether the owner, his company and the church he is affiliated to, were complying with the regulations for public benefit organisations and said he would take up the matter with the South African Revenue Services (SARS) as well as other relevant state departments.

The owner of the house is known to the record but could not be reached for comment. Naidoo has said he will contact the owner and set up a meeting.