The week before Christmas, 23 Newcastle families living on the breadline received a letter on their doorstep that opened a floodgate of emotions …panic, fear, anger and desperation.

The letter, dated November 30, 2025, served as a notice from the local municipality that they had three months to move out before the flats, in which they reside, were sold.

A resolution taken by the Newcastle Local Council on October 1, to sell the Suryaville municipal staff flats to a single developer through public tender, will leave these 23 families homeless at the end of this month.  Seeing as no effort was made to find alternative accommodation for these families, they have nowhere to go and fear they will be turned to the streets.

Most of the tenants of the Suryaville municipal staff flats are living on a state pension, many say the flats are the only home they have ever known, and those who are parents fear what will become of their children when they are forced to leave.

All have this question at the forefront of their thoughts: “What kind of person does this?” more especially,

“What kind of person does this the week before Christmas, which is supposed to be a period of joy, celebration, generosity and goodwill?”

The recommendation to the council to sell the flats was put forward by the portfolio committee of Planning, Housing and Human Settlements, which is chaired by DA councillor, Bertie Meiring, and was fully supported by the IFP. In Newcastle, the IFP and DA are coalition partners that co-govern the local council.

ANC councillor, SW Mngomezulu’s suggestion that the flats be used to provide a social housing solution to the current tenants was never considered by the coalition partners.

The tenants expressed bitter disappointment that their DA ward councillor, Connie Harriram, made no attempt to fight for them. They say Harriram did not consult with them prior to the council resolving to sell the flats, nor did she inform them of the impending sale after the decision was taken.

In desperation, these families have since turned to their retired ward councillor, Matthew Shunmugam, for help. Shunmugam, the former chairperson of Newcastle’s Human Settlements and planning portfolio committee, is now the chairperson of the Newcastle and District Residents Forum (NDRF).

History of the flats

According to Shunmugam, the flats were originally established in 1975 with the intention of providing accommodation to municipal staff as a housing benefit.

“Over time, staff members relocated to other municipal units resulting in low occupancy rates. In response, the former Indian Local Affairs Committee (ILAC) resolved to allow members of the public to occupy the flats, with the objective of generating rental income. Consequently, the flats were made available to the public,” Shunmugam explained.

“The tenants have a long-standing connection to the flats, with some having resided there for decades.”

Tenants share their stories

Last week, the Northern Natal News spent time with these families to understand their individual circumstances.

Sixty-seven year old Rosinadevi Bisnath has resided at the Suryaville municipal staff flats for 50 years, the longest time of any of the current tenants.

Bisnath was 17-years old when her parents were given accommodation at the flats. Her father, Bharath Ramdheen, was employed as a supervisor in the municipal Roads Department at the time. Bharath continued to rent at the flats even after he retired after 26 years’ service to the municipality. The lease was transferred first to Rosinadevi’s husband, after both her parents passed away, and then to Rosinadevi herself, after her husband passed away.

Rosinadevi smiles as she recalls the happy memories she has made at the flats over the years, but the smile gives way to tears when she remembers that the council wants her to move out in the next few weeks.

“I’ve lived here so many years …For me to lose this place …It was a shock,” says Rosinadevi, pausing a few minutes to regain her composure.

Rosinadevi said she had absolutely no idea the municipality was considering selling the flats until she received the letter informing her she had three months to find somewhere else to live. “It was a shock,” she repeated.

Being a pensioner, and with her only son still studying, Rosinadevi worries that she will not be able to afford to rent elsewhere. As an indigent resident of the Suryaville municipal flats, she currently pays a reduced rental for the unit she occupies.

“I will not cope financially, if I have to rent from a private individual. How can the municipality do this to us?” she asked.

Aadil Mohamed was just 2-years old when his parents took up residence in the Suryaville municipal staff flats in 1985 and he says, “It is the only home I have ever known.”

He brings out a family album and points to photos of special occasions that were celebrated at the flats, including birthday parties and his even his wedding.

He recalls that his mother, a single-mother who sold hotdogs to provide for her children, was required to pay a R5 key deposit when they first moved in.

“My children and even my grandchildren grew up here,” Aadil continued. “All of the residents at the flats are struggling to make ends meet. Most are pensioners. I, myself, am classified as an indigent due to a physical disability. None of us can afford to move our families and pay rent of R5 000 to R6 000 a month, and lights and water on top of that. Where do we go?”

Aadil said the ‘eviction’ letter he received wasn’t even hand-delivered to him, nor did he sign confirmation of receipt. It was left on his doorstep.

“My neighbour picked it up and gave it to me,” he said. “There is a tenant downstairs who was away visiting family over the festive period. Her letter was just shoved under her door.”

“Getting the letters was devastating,” said Aadil’s neighbour of eight years, Steven Surujballie. “We didn’t know whether we should get-together with family for Christmas, or start packing our stuff.”

He continued, “Can you imagine what was going on in our minds? It was the festive season. We were told we no longer have a home. We are indigents. If we have to try and pay rent elsewhere, how will we afford food?”

“The municipality is supposed to be providing houses to its indigent residents. Instead, they are taking our homes away from us. In the meantime, all their social housing projects have been left incomplete. Why? Because they chowed all the money,” added Aadil.

Perhaps, the most heart-wrenching story is that of Sherril Bhagwanthipersad, a 43-year old single-mother of four, who has been living at the flats for the past eight years.

Sherril’s youngest was diagnosed with brain cancer at the age of four, and another of her children has renal failure.

When she moved into the Suryaville municipal staff flats, the unit she was given was in a terrible state, the doors had holes in them from being kicked in and wouldn’t close, windows were broken, the geyser caught fire due to exposed wiring …and that’s just the tip of the ice-berg.

“We cleaned it up and made it work. We didn’t have a choice because I was financially desperate. I was struggling to keep up with the medical bills that were piling up and couldn’t afford to rent anywhere else,” she said. “Moving here was a last resort for me.”

She holds up her eviction letter as she says, “I never expected this.”

Sherril, an admin clerk at Bidvest, was at work when the letter was dropped off by a staff member from the municipality. “He handed the letter to my 17-year old daughter who was at home at the time. She phoned me at work and I could hear that she was crying. I asked her to send me a photo of the letter so I could see it myself and what I saw left me in a state of panic,” said Sherril.

“We’ve got nowhere to go. My children are all still at school. I have been having sleepless night since, and even though I try to put on a brave face, it’s been affecting me at work as well,” she continued.

“Surely, the municipality could have explored other options first. Why are 23 families being cast to the streets before they have explored all the options to ensure that they aren’t left homeless? I have never felt so defeated. Now, every time we meet one of our neighbours outside, it’s not ‘hello, how are you?’ it’s ‘what are we going to do now?’ The Newcastle council has proven it will do anything to get money, it will go to any extent, even if it means putting families with children out on the streets.”

Will the Human Rights Commission intervene?

Shunmugam describes the council’s resolution to sell the flats as ‘an irrational decision driven by the municipality’s budgetary crisis rather than consideration for the welfare of the residents’. In a letter he addressed to the municipal manager, Zamani Mcineka, Shunmugam urges the municipality to explore alternative solutions to address its financial challenges, such as addressing the unauthorised, irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure flagged by the auditor general.

He further proposed a number of alternative options that would have addressed the housing needs of the tenants, rather than displacing them, pointing out that the municipality has an obligation to prioritise the provision of affordable housing to its residents over the selling of its assets to developers.

“The council has a constitutional obligation to provide adequate housing for its citizens. The sale of the flats without ensuring alternate accommodation and addressing the housing backlog would be a serious dereliction of this duty,” concluded Shunmugam, who has further appealed to the Human Rights Commission to intervene.

The Newcastle Municipality has not responded to a media enquiry from the Northern Natal News, but has invited the tenants to address the council at a special meeting scheduled for February 4.

The news provided to you in this link has been investigated and compiled by the editorial staff of the Newcastle Advertiser, a sold newspaper distributed in the Newcastle area. Please follow us on Youtube and feel free to like, comment, and subscribe. For more local news, visit our webpage, follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and follow us on our WhatsApp Channel