Gauteng Community Faces Eviction, South Africans Question Councillor’s Role

• Residents of the Hollywood informal settlement in Evaton West in Gauteng received eviction notices
• The outraged residents claimed that the ward councillor previously allocated the land to the community
• The eviction notices could leave close to 400 people in the Evaton West settlement homeless

Close to 400 people in the Hollywood informal settlement in Evaton West, Gauteng are facing eviction. This comes after the residents received eviction notices.

What did the residents say?

The outraged residents said that the ward councillor had previously allocated the land to the community of Evaton West. The residents said that they are now confused because they received eviction notices. They said that they feel scammed by the ward councillor.

The angry residents said that they voted for nothing. They said that President Ramaphosa must make a plan because they refuse to leave. They said that they don't have jobs and have nowhere to go. One resident said that she is living with a disability and relies solely on grant money. She said that she has no other place or family to go to.

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R40,000 for land

Another resident said that he was scammed. He said that he paid R40,000 for a stand only to find out that the person who sold him the land did not the right to do so. He said he did not have a lawyer to advise him on the proper process.

Residents have been occupying the land since 2018. The councillor allegedly told people to occupy the land in 2021. Now the landowners are demanding answers because they feel that the land are being occupied illegally. The residents said that they refuse to leave the land and government should provide them with a plan.

South Africans weigh in

Social media users shared their opinions regarding the eviction of the residents.

@GCINANI_ said:

"400 families facing eviction over land they were told was theirs? This isn’t just a housing crisis it’s betrayal in broad daylight. If leadership promised land, leadership must answer."

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@McMOF55 said:

"I’m from Vaal and I’ve never heard of this kasi before. Hollywood yho! I know Beverly Hills lol now there’s Hollywood. They must just say Evaton west is LA."

@MatthewsMaphal1 said:

"Is the ward councilor qualified to allocate land?"

@intrepidesigner said:

"Scammed by a councilor. We can all guess the party."

@ntsakovuks said:

"Not yet Uhuru."

City of Joburg evicts 145 people from hijacked building

In a previous article, Briefly News reported that the City of Joburg (CoJ) is dealing with hijacked buildings in the city centre, and South Africans are glad it’s finally happening. The CoJ has identified eight buildings in the central business district (CBD).

In a bid to reclaim hijacked buildings, the CoJ was granted an eviction order to remove squatters who call the buildings home. The city noted that it acquired a temporary building to provide temporary accommodation to those affected. The CoJ’s first stop was Moth House in Braamfontein, where 145 people were evicted.

Source: Briefly News