The Ekurhuleni Housing Company (EHC) evicted 160 people from the Delville Ext 3 and Ext 9 housing complexes in Germiston.

The evictions form part of the company’s ongoing efforts to address non-payment of rent and unlawful occupation of its housing units.

Previous eviction operations by the City of Ekurhuleni have included residents at Pharoe Park, Airport Park and the Delville Exts.

Recently, the EHC moved in to remove the remaining occupants. They had been given notice of the evictions, which took place on October 16.

By then, the occupants had vacated the facilities, leaving behind broken furniture and other items, which were removed by the eviction team. The items were loaded onto trucks and taken to an open space near Elsburg.

The eviction operations were supported by the SAPS and EMPD personnel.

Speaking to the Alberton Record, EHC CEO Zingisani Nkamana said the company was currently carrying out evictions at Delville Ext, with Chris Hani Village housing complex next on the list. The operation will target units that have been hijacked and occupied without proper documentation.

He said the evictions followed unsuccessful attempts to regularise occupation dating back to last year.

“I think it is important first to provide context on why EHC has decided to embark on this process. We are dealing with New Delville Ext 9, as well as part of Old Delville. The majority of occupants in these units have hijacked them and do not have the proper documentation to occupy them,” he said.

“We tried to engage the occupants as far back as November 2024, with the objective of encouraging them to come forward so that we could regularise their occupation. However, there was a refusal to cooperate. This is part of the ongoing process, and we are now at this stage.”

The CEO confirmed that Chris Hani Village would be the last complex targeted in this phase of the operation.

“The last complex remaining is Chris Hani, where approximately 15% of occupants are not paying their rentals. We have tried to engage them and asked them to come forward so that we can consider payment arrangements. Those who have not come forward have been notified that we will be forced to take legal action,” he said.

“As of the last quarter ending in September, approximately 189 units across Delville Ext 3 and Ext 9 were affected.”
According to the EHC, non-payment of rent has a direct impact on its operations.

“Overall, it affects the entity negatively because our operations are funded by the rental income we receive from tenants. When occupants do not pay rent, it affects our operations because the entity cannot collect the money it needs to fund its activities,” said Nkamana.

The complexes offer two- and three-bedroom units. However, refurbishing damaged units is expected to be costly.

“Given the extent of the damage to these units, we cannot provide an exact cost at this stage. However, based on our experience and the damage incurred, we estimate that refurbishing a unit will cost no less than R100 000 per unit,” said Nkamana.

Addressing the situation at Pharoe Park, where some units remain vacant, the EHC said refurbishment work was ongoing but constrained by financial limitations.

“We are revamping Pharoe Park on an ongoing basis. However, as I indicated earlier, the entity is financially constrained. Where we have the resources to refurbish a unit, we do so. We currently have approximately 120 occupants in the complex, and rental collection stands at 100%,” said Nkamana.

“We are hopeful that, as we generate more revenue through rental collection, we will be able to expand the refurbishment programme.”

The EHC also addressed previous confrontations between security personnel and occupants.

“We started enforcing credit-control measures, which required all occupants living in the complex to be identified. There was resistance from some unlawful occupants, and we began taking security measures. The situation arose mainly from attacks directed at security personnel, who used minimum force to defend themselves.”Asked why some occupants stopped paying rent, Nkamana said a culture of informal landlords had developed in the complexes.

“I think that, in these complexes, it has become a matter of culture. Some people have assumed the responsibilities of informal landlords and have been collecting money from occupants. The main issue is not necessarily that people are not paying, but that they are not paying the EHC, which is the rightful landlord. Instead, they may be paying individuals who are unlawfully collecting rent.”

The EHC clarified that occupants’ belongings were not being dumped. As part of the planning process, a designated area had been set aside where belongings were kept so that owners knew where to collect them. Staff were also available to assist those with concerns.