Evicted Nellmapius squatters vow to return
Angry residents who were evicted from an open piece of veld in Nellmapius this week, have vowed to erect more shacks.
Angry residents who were evicted from an open piece of veld in Nellmapius this week, have vowed to erect more shacks.
This comes after Tshwane metro demolished 133 illegal shacks during the eviction action next to Bali Village in Nellmapius extension 1 on Monday morning.
“We accompanied the service provider in that operation,” metro police spokesperson Isaac Mahamba confirmed.
Informal settlement residents claimed they were given no advance notice of the eviction.
“We should have been warned beforehand,” said community representative December Matlala.
“We decided to erect the shacks at an open space because most of us were renting backyard rooms and the rent fee was high.
“We don’t want any services from the Tshwane metro – only a place where we can stay,” Matlala said.
Matlala said most of the people were renting shacks at the Willow Farm informal settlement, next to Nellmapius extension 4.
“They cannot afford to pay the rent anymore,” he said.
READ MORE: NEWSFLASH: Two arrested after chase in Nellmapius Drive
Ward 86 councillor Thabo Ntlatleng said: “I advised the people who were trying to build shacks there to register for RDP houses like other residents.
“I also told them they should not erect any shacks there because that piece of land belongs to the metro. They should not clear the area, because it is the metro’s responsibility to maintain the area.”
A resident from the nearby formal area, who wished to remain anonymous, said he supported the municipality for demolishing the shacks.
He said the open veld in question should be used for something else such as learning centres, a police station or even a mall or clinic.
“Nellmapius has only one clinic which is quite far away.”
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