THE BARRAGE.- An employer at the Ardenworld Plot near The Barrage, Vanderbijlpark, is said to have evicted thirteen workers from the plot for no apparent reason recently. Elias Mtono, a father of eight, who is one of the victims said that he was shown the ‘middle finger’ after working at the plot for 22 years. He was evicted on 3 July. 45-year-old Mtono said that he was given a verbal notice that he must vacate the plot between 16 and 25 June. Thereafter the employer demolished his four-room house, and his family was forced to stay in shacks and an old broken car. Mtono said that trouble started after the other twelve employees and their families left as two Barrage Policemen arrived. Mtono was hoping that peace and stability would be restored. Instead, the police apparently instructed him to ‘pack his things and go’. “I was disturbed to see the officers giving me a cold shoulder. The next thing the owner told me to look for a plot that he would buy for me and after going an extra mile, I found a plot that was worth R35 000. I gave him the amount, instead he made about U-turn saying I must pay the money out of my pocket.” Approached for comment, Theunis Lombard (46) owner of the plot told Sedibeng Ster that he no longer had work for the employees. “I want them out of my plot. The plot has already been sold. I dont need them and have nothing to talk about. “Otherwise, if they refuse to move out, “I will deal with them legally.” Mtono was assisted by Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) MMC for Infrastructure, Bhekie Ntsele and was temporarily accommodated at the nearby Mullerstuin Clinic, while sorting out proper accommodation.