Homes pulled down in Umbulwane by municipality
A Ladysmith Gazette journalist went to the area to see what was happening and found residents arguing with municipal security officials, demanding back the building material of which their homes were made
Anger levels rose this morning (Friday) among Umbulwane residents as Public Safety officers and municipal security swooped on the area and forcefully removed illegal structures that people have started to build to live in. This was done on a piece of land in Umbulwane next to Steadville.
A Ladysmith Gazette journalist went to the area to see what was happening and found residents arguing with municipal security officials, demanding back the building material of which their homes were made. One of the residents, who did not want to be named, told the Ladysmith Gazette that the piece of land was given to them by a CPF (Community Policing Forum) member who lives nearby.
He claims that the CPF member was giving out pieces of land to the community earlier this week. “It started on Tuesday when I saw people standing next to the land. When I asked what was happening, they told me that land was being given out,” says the resident. He added that they had just started building their ‘houses’ the day before (Thursday) when they were told there would be a meeting with the municipality to resolve the matter. “But when we arrived here this morning (Friday), we saw them pulling down our homes and taking away the building materials.”
Municipality have not commented on the matter.
