WATCH: Montclair family removed from their home

IMAGINE waking up one morning to absolute pandemonium, being forcefully removed from your home, all while mourning the recent death of your loved one.

This was the harsh reality for the Shezi family when the SAPS’ Special Task Force, together with Montclair police officers, removed them from their Montclair home on Tuesday, 6 August.

The residents, who are mostly a large group of young children, the youngest just four-years-old, were presented with a letter from the sheriff of the court, instructing them to evacuate the residence in less than 24 hours. Video footage shows armed officers and law enforcement demanding the children to leave their home and further dispersed them with teargas following their resistance to leave.

According to the family’s relative, Sbongile Gumede, the court order was initiated by the children’s late father’s girlfriend. “We received a letter over the weekend stating that we ought to evacuate the premises by Sunday morning, 2 August, and not take any belongings from the home. We did not really take this seriously and were too preoccupied with family matters after the funeral. On Monday morning the sheriff arrived with documentation, ordering the children and other family members to leave the residence. We still refused to leave because we felt this was a violation of our rights and questioned how it was possible for the girlfriend do this because we have always known this to be our father’s house since 2006,” she said.

It is unclear how the woman in question got the rights over the home. When the SUN made efforts to contact her, she refused to comment on the matter.

She is said to have been living with the children and their father in the home for about three months before the passing of the father last week, due to Covid-19 related complications. His funeral was on Sunday, 3 August.
The locks of the house were changed immediately and the children remain homeless with many unanswered questions. One of the children, a 17-year-old girl, who cannot be named because she is a minor, shared that the entire experience was traumatic.

“All I keep wondering, is where are we going to live now, what are we going to eat, what is going to be of us moving forward. I’m in matric and this has disrupted me a lot. I’ve got exams coming up in three weeks and most of my studying material was left in the house. We’re all just very confused and don’t know where to from here,” she said.

Montclair SAPS communications officer, Captain Derek Vijiam, confirmed that police followed a procedure to assist in restoring the property to the rightful owner.

According to the 17-year-old, the children are living in various places at the moment.

WATCH: Montclair family removed from their home 

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