Eveleigh squatters were on September 20 left homeless after members of the EMPD dismantled their homes, following complaints that their presence is among the factors contributing to a crime spike.
The three squatters, however, warned that evicting them may lead to a spike in robberies and illegal dumping in the area, as contrary to popular belief, they are instrumental in crime prevention and tracing of the suspects involved.
According to EMPD spokesperson chief Supt Kelebogile Thepa, EMPD By-Laws Unit and Boksburg precinct officers swoop on the makeshift dwellings made from wooden boards and sheets of plastic, on the vacant plot on Rondebult Road, between Eveleigh Estate and K90 Shopping Centre, and dismantled the structures.
Thepa added that the affected area would be frequently monitored.
This came after concerned residents complained that the squatter camp is harbouring criminals. Residents accused the squatters of being behind the surge in criminal activities in the area where passers-by are targeted and robbed of their personal belongings, a claim the occupiers of the makeshifts have categorically denied.
The Advertiser revisited the area just after the demolition and found the bits, everything from wooden and plastic sheets to clothing, furniture, plastic containers including buckets piled into heaps on the ground.
Also Read: WATCH: Residents object to proposed squatter camp
The distressed squatters (two men and a woman) emerged one by one from plastic tarpaulins hidden in the semi-bushy section of the plot.
The head squatter, Sibongiseni, who stays with his ‘wife’, told this publication the demolition of their home will not solve the problem of crime in the area; saying should they vacate the area, things are most likely to go from bad to worst.
“We have been here for a very long time and have on many occasions risked our lives fighting criminals who come here from different parts of Boksburg North to target people walking along the veld. Some of them are known muggers who have managed to evade police. It’s not us. We survive on collecting recyclable material and casual jobs.”
Sibongiseni said things used to be bad in the area before they, as the residents, decided to take matters into their own hands because they knew their home would be scapegoated as the problem of the crime taking place in the veld.
“When we arrived, after being evicted from two other nearby locations, the crime situation was so bad that people were being robbed in broad daylight by some youngsters, some of them on drugs. We decided we have to stop this before we are blamed for the situation.
“I confronted the known criminals and told them I would not tolerate their behaviour in my area, and some of them tried to threaten me because I was preventing them from preying on people. But I remained resolute in my opposition to their behaviour and the situation changed for the better.
“Recently, we started to notice sporadic incidents of robberies and I’ve figured out that they (the robbers) monitor my movement and only strike when they notice I’m not around.
“In some incidents, we helped give chase and assisted police with the investigations. I remember there are cases where we even managed to catch the suspects and recovered the victims’ belongings, mostly cellphones. However, people are still blaming us for the situation, instead of looking for the real problems,” said Sibongiseni.
The squatters also pointed out they suspect these robberies are also perpetuated by the place’s proximity to drug dens in the nearby residential complex where the occupants are believed to be running crack dens.
“These boys who are hooked on drugs look for any opportunity to make quick money to buy drugs, and when they see a person walking along with a cellphone or a bag, they see a chance to rob and sell the items for money to buy drugs.
“We prevented a lot of these opportunistic crimes.”
Sibongiseni said the other issue they have been fighting against since they arrived is the problem of illegal dumping.
“We have witnessed a lot of people, including companies, who come to dispose of their waste and rubble. This includes raw sewage and medical waste, such as used syringes.
“We have been fighting against company bosses and some of them tried to trick us into allowing their workers to dump here, but we put our foot down and said no to dumping of toxic materials,” said Sibongiseni.
Also Read: Eveleigh squatters becoming a growing concern
