Displaced flood victims removed after illegally occupying Montclair lodge
Frustration mounts as victims still await answers from government, four months after the floods.
LAW enforcement officials were called in to remove over 200 flood victims from Transnet’s Lodge in Montclair on Monday, August 8, after they illegally occupied the building more than two weeks ago.
Transnet obtained a high court order after finding that the displaced families had allegedly broke the locks and gained entry into the premises on Saturday, July 23.
With nowhere to go, those who lost their homes during the April floods, said they were still hopeful that government will assist them, however, were disappointed that after four months, no permanent solution to their living conditions have been made.
Bukiwe Myolwa, 35, said she and her family were living at the Yellowwood Park Civic Hall, which was a designated as a shelter for flood victims, after her tin shack in Umlazi washed away.
“The living conditions at the hall was poor, with the women, men and children sleeping together, creating a safety risk. After we heard that the hall was going to close, we came to the hostel to find a more suitable place to live until the government can help us with a house. We are unemployed and are struggling to make ends meet after we lost everything,” said Myolwa.
Nomvula Beatrice Dlamini, 54, said she, together with her five children and 11 grandchildren, joined those who left the hall after finding out that they would need to move.
“We were told that we need to leave the hall, as they were going to be using it for a wedding. We did not know where to go, and when everyone left to the lodge, we followed. I had my grandchildren to think of. My youngest is only a year old. But now, I do not know what to do. If we don’t get shelter, we will have to sleep outside in the cold. We are homeless,” said Dlamini, while fighting back tears.
Ward 64 councillor, Gavin Hegter, said majority of the people at the lodge were from Umlazi, and about 32 of them were displaced victims from the the hall.
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“We found out that the number of illegal occupants had since grown, with more people illegally occupying the lodge. Montclair SAPS attended and engaged with Transnet management and although the intention was to remove the people the following day, in terms of the law, the removal of the occupants would have needed to be done within 24 hours after occupation. Unfortunately, this was not possible because SAPS Public Order Policing and metro police were deployed to a provincial conference and were unavailable. Transnet needed to apply for an eviction order, and they were finally successful,” said Hegter.
Transnet declined to comment at the time of going to press.
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