A mentally unstable homeless man who occupied a stoep at a middle-class Quigney block of flats for nearly a month has been taken away by the police.
This is of great relief to tenants, many of them government and private sector employees, and especially company official Zameka Cuntu, 49.
Cuntu had to face the daily trauma of making a dash for her front door, which opens onto the stoep, where the man’s bedding, plastic bags, and other filthy trash lay piled high.
After weeks of complaining to the authorities, the Dispatch ran a story on Friday about the unwelcome intruder and within hours the police arrived and took the unknown man away.
He had made the cement stoep of the Summit Mansions flat rented by Cuntu and her husband Ludumo, 55, his home since January.
He would dump alcohol bottles, cereal boxes, ice cream containers, soiled baby nappies and rotten food in his den, causing passersby to hurry past the stench.
He used the complex’s neat front lawn as his fire pit and toilet.
Zameka Cuntu said it was thanks to the Dispatch’s article they could now live in peace.
East London police spokesperson Captain Hazel Mqala confirmed that the man was taken to the Fleet Street police station, where he was given a stern warning.
“He co-operated with the police and was released on warning. There were no signs of violence and no resistance. We don’t know his identity or address,” Mqala said.
Ludumo said he had endured the stoep invasion because he feared confronting the “unstable” man.
The couple said the man would dump trash on the stoep, make a racket at night and claim he was the owner of the property.
The Cuntus had earlier complained bitterly that the police showed no interest in removing the invader.
“We can now breathe and move freely in our home without fear,” a very relieved Zameka said.
“We couldn’t resolve this until the Dispatch intervened. We are grateful for the coverage.
“The police have been very helpful since Friday checking up on us every day making sure the invader has not bothered us again,” said Zameka.
Once he was gone, Zameka took no chances and hired cleaners to scrub the floor, walls and the balcony until they were spotless.
All the man’s trash was placed outside the premises and Buffalo City Metro collected it on Monday.
Ludumo said: “Access to our own home was restricted because this man imagined that this was his home.”
He said he even sneaked onto the stoep and removed the vagrant’s axe for fear he may attack someone.
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