WATCH: Homeless lose everything when Public Safety pays them a visit

On the News‘ front page this week we covered the story about homeless people in Krugersdorp losing everything when Mogale City Local Municipality’s Public Safety members paid them a visit.

Tanya Pretorius, one of the people living in a makeshift camp, told News journalist Natasha Pretorius that on Monday, September 13 Public Safety workers removed most of their belongings and burnt the rest.

The four-months pregnant Tanya said she was manhandled while Dawid Nagel, Tanya’s partner explained that their tent was set alight while he was still trying to salvage some of their belongings.

The News also spoke to other homeless people in the area who had suffered a similar fate that Monday. A 68-year-old man said his bag of maize meal was opened and emptied on the ground while he looked on helplessly.

A little boy, who often visits his mother at the makeshift camp, cried and told the News that his toys had been burnt.

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According to the interviewees they were to be removed from the area because of complaints by homeowners in the area.

The News spoke to ward councillor Trudie Naude who said she had asked Public Safety to take a look at the situation after receiving numerous complaints from residents in her ward. She said that she had no idea that their belongings would be confiscated and destroyed.

The News reached out to the Mogale City Local Municipality (MCLM) for clarity on the procedures when by-laws are enforced, but no feedback was received.

For more on this story check out the News‘ front page in the edition dated October 1.