Residents from Chicken Farm under Ward 13 just outside East London, are evicted from the RDP houses which they occupied without legal documents that proves that the houses belong to them. According to the Department of Human Settlements, authorities from this department bring a list with the names of the rightful owners of the houses and keys when handing over the houses. However, these residents did not follow the proper procedure when occupying the vacant RDP houses.
South African Police Service together with the Law Enforcement in Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality evicted the Chicken Farm residents, these residents believe that the houses belong to them because they are from Dice township, Reeston which is located in Ward 13. They said when their parents built houses in different areas of Reeston, they were promised that the land in Chicken Farm will be used to build them houses. However, the municipality says otherwise because as the houses are built for people living in Duncan Village and it’s surroundings. Duncan Village is not under Ward 13. Ward 13 residents claim that they are being treated unfair by the ANC and the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality.
An anonymous residents claims that people from Duncan Village are benefiting more than them in this ward. Houses in areas such as Khayelitsha, Thembalethu and old Chicken Farm in Reeston all belong to the people who used to live in Duncan Village.
Anonymous said, “It has been almost twenty years since we were promised to built houses, we are too old now to live in the backyards of our parents and this ward is full of people who are from Duncan Village. Where will our houses be built when they continue to take people from other wards.
Chicken Farm residents said they were granted a court order which states that if they occupy the vacant RDP houses, they must not vandalize them and not disrupt Phahla which is the construction company that is still in the process of building houses in the area. These residents said they have complied to the court order, and said that they not given notice about the eviction which was so painful and embarrassing because their belongings were thrown outside. Some indicated that the lost their belongings during the eviction process while others claim that their goods were damaged.
Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality spokesperson Samkelo Ngwenya said they do not announce when will the eviction process happen.
[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]” They occupied the houses unlawfully, they did not inform when they were entering the houses. Why should we inform them when we are going to evict them from the houses that do not belong to them?” asked Ngwenya[/perfectpullquote]
