‘We would rather die or be arrested than have our shacks demolished,’ Umhlali squatters tell sheriff

More than 100 residents of an informal settlement in Umhlali are demanding alternative homes before they leave land they are squatting on.

A sheriff of the court arrived on Tuesday with an eviction order from the business park next to the old Umhlali station.

They blocked the entrance with burning tyres and refused to allow anyone to demolish their shacks until they are provided with new homes.

“As far as we know, the court instructed that KwaDukuza municipality must provide us with a place to stay. Until then, we will not allow anyone to demolish our shacks.

“We are not resisting moving away from here but if you remove us, let us have another place to stay or build us homes,” said squatter, Fezile Goba.

A meeting to resolve the situation was set for August 16. The land belongs to Ballito businessman, Roy Tremearne.

“We will be a meeting with their representatives, the sheriff and police, and the municipality will be invited. They must leave or the sheriff will do his job,” said Tremearne.

KDM spokesperson, Sipho Mkhize said the municipality could not meet the requirement of providing alternative accommodation to the illegal occupants cited in the court order.

“We have made this known through attorneys to the court, land owner and illegal occupants. We face a significant backlog in providing homes to current qualifying beneficiaries currently on the database.

“The landowner is well within his right (to) action the court order, the municipality is on record praying with the illegal occupants to desist from their actions of which they chose to defy.

“We continue to ask our people to not subject themselves to illegal occupation of land because they lose more at the end of the day,” said Mkhize.

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