Sixteen East London families have been given until 30th of this month by Buffalo City Metro to vacate municipal houses at Umzonyama Water Treatment Works.
This is the second attempt by the metro to remove the dwellers, following a notice served in 2009.
Some of the families, who have been staying at the dam since the 1980s, are descendants of former employees of Umzonyama.
The residents said they had nowhere else to go and claimed they spent money refurbishing the houses, after finding them in an appalling condition.
The eviction letter, seen by the Daily Dispatch, dated August 12, was delivered to the dwellers last Friday.
The letter, issued by Gravett Schoeman attorneys on behalf of BCM read:
“We act on behalf of Buffalo City Metropolitan municipality, our client is advising us that you are unlawfully occupying the premises. Our client requires the premises in order to accommodate present employees of the Water Treatment Works.
“Whilst you are illegal employment , our client cannot place current employees in these premises. The reason that these premises were established so that the occupants, who would also be employed at the Water Treatment Works, would close on site even after hours in case of an emergency. Your illegal occupation is currently highly detrimental to our client – furthermore to the general public of East London.”
In the letter, BCM lawyers blamed water cuts which threatened to cripple businesses in April, squarely on the shoulders of the occupants.
“You are aware of the recent problem that occurred at Mzonyama Plant, which affected the entire East London where nobody had water for a couple of days”.
Nofikile Thakatshana, 58, originally from Mount Frere, moved to the settlement with her husband, George Thakatshana, in January 1985.
He died in 2004, following an illness and Thakatshana continued living in the house. Thakatshana said ever since she received the eviction notice, she had been having sleepless nights.
“My health status has been very unstable, I have no other solution. I’ve been living here for the past 31 years.
“My granddaughter was born here, she has nowhere else to call home,” she said.
Thakatshana said she was worried the stress caused by the eviction notice would affect her 17-year-old granddaughter’s crucial school exams.
Nonkoliseko Qwabe, 40, from King William’s Town, moved into one of the municipal houses in 2001 with her late husband, Xolani Hlithane, who died in December 2013.
She said she would move out but BCM “must give us alternative shelters”, as she had nowhere to go.
“This letter is depressing me, I have a chronic health condition and ever since I got this letter, my health status deteriorated.”
Qwabe claims that the houses had no window panes or doors when she moved in with her late husband.
She said they spent money to put in doors and improve the state of the house they lived in.
Mavuso Madala, 27, has lived in one of the houses since the age of five, with his mother, Luleka Gaqa, a former administration worker at the municipality’s finance department.
Madala said he was not fazed by the letter.
“It’s another empty threat; this is the second letter since 2009.
“This is South Africa – they can’t just kick us out in the streets without offering a solution,” he said.
Phumzile Zindlani, 52, said he had been staying at the settlement since 1996 with his late uncle, who worked in the municipality’s sanitation department.
“I’m an unemployed orphan and I am homeless. I have never owned a house in South Africa. I have no idea where I’m going to go”.
Although BCM spokesman Sibusiso Cindi acknowledged receiving e-mailed questions sent on Wednesday, no response had been received at the time of writing yesterday evening. — malibongwed@dispatch.co.za
BCM orders families out
This is the second attempt by the metro to remove the dwellers, following a notice served in 2009.
Some of the families, who have been staying at the dam since the 1980s, are descendants of former employees of Umzonyama.
The residents said they had nowhere else to go and claimed they spent money refurbishing the houses, after finding them in an appalling condition.
The eviction letter, seen by the Daily Dispatch, dated August 12, was delivered to the dwellers last Friday.
The letter, issued by Gravett Schoeman attorneys on behalf of BCM read:
“We act on behalf of Buffalo City Metropolitan municipality, our client is advising us that you are unlawfully occupying the premises. Our client requires the premises in order to accommodate present employees of the Water Treatment Works.
“Whilst you are illegal employment , our client cannot place current employees in these premises. The reason that these premises were established so that the occupants, who would also be employed at the Water Treatment Works, would close on site even after hours in case of an emergency. Your illegal occupation is currently highly detrimental to our client – furthermore to the general public of East London.”
In the letter, BCM lawyers blamed water cuts which threatened to cripple businesses in April, squarely on the shoulders of the occupants.
“You are aware of the recent problem that occurred at Mzonyama Plant, which affected the entire East London where nobody had water for a couple of days”.
Nofikile Thakatshana, 58, originally from Mount Frere, moved to the settlement with her husband, George Thakatshana, in January 1985.
He died in 2004, following an illness and Thakatshana continued living in the house. Thakatshana said ever since she received the eviction notice, she had been having sleepless nights.
“My health status has been very unstable, I have no other solution. I’ve been living here for the past 31 years.
“My granddaughter was born here, she has nowhere else to call home,” she said.
Thakatshana said she was worried the stress caused by the eviction notice would affect her 17-year-old granddaughter’s crucial school exams.
Nonkoliseko Qwabe, 40, from King William’s Town, moved into one of the municipal houses in 2001 with her late husband, Xolani Hlithane, who died in December 2013.
She said she would move out but BCM “must give us alternative shelters”, as she had nowhere to go.
“This letter is depressing me, I have a chronic health condition and ever since I got this letter, my health status deteriorated.”
Qwabe claims that the houses had no window panes or doors when she moved in with her late husband.
She said they spent money to put in doors and improve the state of the house they lived in.
Mavuso Madala, 27, has lived in one of the houses since the age of five, with his mother, Luleka Gaqa, a former administration worker at the municipality’s finance department.
Madala said he was not fazed by the letter.
“It’s another empty threat; this is the second letter since 2009.
“This is South Africa – they can’t just kick us out in the streets without offering a solution,” he said.
Phumzile Zindlani, 52, said he had been staying at the settlement since 1996 with his late uncle, who worked in the municipality’s sanitation department.
“I’m an unemployed orphan and I am homeless. I have never owned a house in South Africa. I have no idea where I’m going to go”.
Although BCM spokesman Sibusiso Cindi acknowledged receiving e-mailed questions sent on Wednesday, no response had been received at the time of writing yesterday evening. — malibongwed@dispatch.co.za
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