Unlawful evictions recurring nightmare in Alexandra

The station commander at the Alexandra Police Station Brigadier Vusumuzi Ngubane said unlawful evictions were a persistent issue in Alexandra. This comes after a group of men, believed to be members of an anti-illegal immigration group in Alexandra, forcefully and unlawfully evicted some residents in Ext 9 on June 18, claiming that they were undocumented immigrants.

To date, at least 14 families have been displaced because of the evictions, and some families, who have not vacated their homes yet, live in fear, as the group continues to intimidate them.

Read more: Alexandra residents left vulnerable as eviction group strikes again

According to Ngubane, Alexandra residents have long been grappling with unlawful evictions by such groups. He stressed that the individuals who unlawfully evict, seize, and settle in victims’ houses were a menace, noting that some of them were repeat offenders.

“These cases are a lot, and we have arrested so many people,” Ngubane revealed. He added that when some offenders return from prison, they go back to the same houses they had unlawfully seized. He said to resolve the matter, there is a need for collaboration between the housing department, police, and the justice department.

ActionSA’s Ward 105 chairperson Tumelo Shai, who is working closely with the recent victims, said the group has been tormenting various communities in Alexandra, including Amarasta, Ext 7, River Park, and, recently, they have set their eyes on houses in Ext 9.

“Before they evict residents, they study the environment. They check who stays where,” Shai explained. He added that they usually attack the most vulnerable members of the community.

Shai said, in a previous case he worked on, a Xhosa-speaking woman in Amarasta was evicted by the group because she was married to a foreign national. Although her husband had the right documents to be in South Africa, the group still pounced on them and forcefully seized their property. Now, their house is vacant, and the group continues their unlawful eviction spree with impunity.

Ext 9 residents held a meeting on June 28 on Aldo Mogano Street in East Bank, just outside the vandalised home of one the victims, Lucky Moima. According to Shai, the meeting was prompted by the community’s concern about police inaction. Since the first case was opened at the Alexandra Police Station on June 6, and assigned an investigating officer, victims said they have not received any updates from the police.

Detective Colonel Daniel Raletlhaka said he only heard about the case on June 26. When asked about what was happening with the investigation between June 6 and June 26, he said the suspects were unknown.

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