Cemetery dwellers still homeless
The cemetery dwellers are still living on the street, but could relocate to a designated area in Munsieville.
Cemetery dwellers say they have not been allowed to move to the informal settlement in Munsieville, but the Pango Camp residents say it is not their property and they do not decided who is welcome and who is not.
A group of people, who have called the Burgershoop cemetery home for months and even years, were removed by the municipality on Thursday, 10 March.
Irene van Niekerk, the self-proclaimed community leader of the Pango Camp informal settlement in Munsieville, told the News that the community would be more than happy to welcome new residents “as long as they work through Mogale City“.
The informal settlement was created to house the “white squatters” of Coronation Park after the municipality removed them from the old caravan park in 2014.
“If the municipality chooses to remove a person, they have to provide alternative housing for them,” Amanda de Lange, Freedom Front Plus leader for the West Rand region said.
“The only place for someone to go right now is the designated area in Munsieville,” she said.
Marie Hann, one of the Burgershoop cemetery dwellers the News interviewed, said after they were removed from the cemetery by the municipality, they have been sleeping in tents here and there.
“We were told there is no space for us at Munsieville,” she said.
Marie also asked the News to thank those who have come to their aid since last week Thursday when they were “thrown out of the cemetery”.
“Someone brought as dry clothes and blankets, we are very thankful,” she said.
Amanda added that alternative housing should be provided to someone who is removed by the municipality.
“That is why it is important to remove someone withing 48 hours, after that, laws kick in,” she said.
Nkosana Zali, Mogale City Local Municipality spokesperson, previously said the municipality will continue to provide adequate housing for all deserving residents “regardless of the colour of their skin”.
He has not yet commented on possible alternative housing provided for the the previous residents of the cemetery.
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