“They Were Warned”: Mzansi Reacts With Zero Sympathy as KZN Houses Are Flattened by Eskom

• A massive excavator demolished over one hundred illegal houses built on Eskom land in Thornville after residents ignored several warnings to vacate the dangerous area
• The Pietermaritzburg High Court granted a strict eviction order last year to protect the national power grid and ensure the safety of local residents
• Social media users showed very little compassion for the homeless families because they believe the residents were fully aware of the legal consequences beforehand

Families in the Thornville area outside Pietermaritzburg faced a devastating day on Thursday, 26 March 2026. Heavy machinery arrived to flatten more than one hundred homes built on restricted land.

This massive operation is set to leave dozens of people without any shelter. The power utility Eskom moved in to reclaim the property following a long legal battle. Residents watched in shock as their life savings turned into piles of rubble. The site was previously identified as high risk due to the electrical infrastructure.

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The mass eviction is taking place under a strict High Court order. This legal directive was originally obtained in early 2025 to clear the occupied power space. Officials executed the plan to ensure public safety and protect the national electricity infrastructure.

Sibongile Zungu stood with her children as the machines prepared to tear through their family home. They now have no shelter and no clear plan for where they will sleep. The community members had ignored several warnings to vacate the premises over the past year.

Families stranded after court ordered evictions

The legal battle for this specific piece of land started many months ago. Eskom representatives claimed that building under the massive power lines is strictly prohibited by South African safety regulations. The Pietermaritzburg High Court eventually ruled that the occupation of the land was unlawful.

Residents were given ample time to find alternative accommodation before the heavy machinery arrived. However, many people chose to stay behind hoping that the demolition would never happen.

A TikTok video shared by the Witness on 27 March 2026 showed the chaos. The footage captured Zungu and her crying family standing next to their home that was set to be demolished.

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See the TikTok clip below:

Mzansi shows no compassion

Briefly News compiled some comments from the post below.

@Moleboheng . 🎧 commented:

“I know they told them to move before even building.”

@Bokang said:

“They were told about the eviction early last year, so that's more than 12 months to relocate. Let's be real now.”

@user8748328813311 wrote:

“It’s very sad 😢, but I believe they have been told not to build on that land. 🥹The money they have spent on those beautiful houses is gone. 😭”

@Sibuyi10 commented:

“It once happened in Bushbuckridge that houses were demolished, but the case was later taken to court involving the Human Rights Commission, and their houses were rebuilt, and others were paid for all the damage caused.”

@Nompi Makhubela said:

“Such a beautiful house, my goodness, but why did they build on someone's land.”

More articles about houses being demolished

• Durban Metro Police have cleared makeshift shelters from the dunes along the North Beach promenade after residents raised safety concerns.
• The Greater Tzaneen Municipality allegedly demolished an illegal 10-bedroom home in the 'Muhlava Location' in Mokgolobotho.
• South Africans are reacting to a video of a woman who allegedly decided to demolish the family home following a marriage that went sour.
• A Twitter user recently headed to the app to share a clip of a beautiful home being demolished by an excavator.

Source: Briefly News