‘We want our homes now’
"There is more crime here [Sunnyside]. I have been robbed twice and my flat broken into four times in 5 years."
Displaced residents of Schubart Park wants the mayor of Tshwane to give them their homes back.
More than 300 residents protested outside the council offices, blocking Lillian Ngoyi and Madiba Streets on Wednesday.
One of the organisers, Allie Mashimbye said they felt “forgotten” by the metro which had promised them that they could move into their homes when renovations were completed 5 years ago.
“We had been promised by the then mayor [Kgosientso Ramokgopa] that we would be back at the [Schubart Park] flats after they had completed them. That was 5 years ago,” said Mashimbye.
“That used to be my home. I lived there with my family until the metro decided to move us for renovation.”
Schubart Park accommodated hundreds of families.
It was built in the 1970s as part of a state-subsidised rental scheme to benefit civil servants.
In July 1999, the metro inherited Schubart Park and continued to rent it to civil servants.
But over time, increased urbanisation and the resultant decay took their toll and the building was hijacked by vagrants.
On 21 September 2011, water and electricity supply to Schubart Park was cut forcing some 700 families to live with water.
Citing decay, Mashimbye said the metro further evicted them and placed them in temporary accommodation leaving to litigation between the metro and residents.
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“The Pretoria High Court ordered that the metro secure the temporary accommodation until renovations to Schubart Park were done.”
Mashimbye said but the residents where angered when the metro moved people from Thembelihle into the renovated flats.
“That worried us as those flats were also meant to accommodate us but none of us live there instead we are scattered all over,” he said.
Tumelo Mhlongo (49) who had been living at Schubart Park since 2001 said moving to Sunnyside was problematic for him.
“There is more crime here [Sunnyside]. I have been robbed twice and my flat broken into four times in 5 years.
We need to return to our home so we can find peace,” said Mhlongo.
The Tshwane metro police were monitoring the situation.
“We advise motorists and those using Madiba and Lillian Ngoyi streets to find alternative routes as traffic will be delayed,” warned spokesperson Senior Superintendent Isaac Mahamba.
The mayor’s spokesperson Samkelo Mgobozi was not available for comment at the time of going to print.
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