The Gauteng Housing Crisis Committee (GHCC), community members, and a group of illegal occupants picketed outside the Eldorado Park Police Station on October 27 against what they called police brutality.

This follows residents’ attempted to prevent the JMPD and SAPS from demolishing their structures before the police allegedly assaulted and pepper-sprayed them during an illegal eviction on October 23 at Ext 6, Eldorado Park.

According to GHCC coordinator Shaquill Kasan, they do not want to engage the SAPS; instead, they intend to open cases of assault and malicious damage to property against the officers involved.

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He emphasised that everyone who was pepper-sprayed or had their property damaged was there to open a case.

“That is our purpose for coming here today. There is nothing we can say to them. They came to our homes and brutalised our people, so we are here to exercise our rights by opening cases.”

Kasaan noted that the community members expected the officers in the charge office to do their jobs properly, without attitudes, and without dockets going missing.

“We are standing against the officers involved in this operation. We might not have all their names, yet there are records that will show exactly who participated,” he further said.

“The community deserves accountability from everyone who had a hand in this. Lieutenant Colonel Sambo must answer for his role in what they did to residents.

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Kasaan said legal action will follow, and they will pursue the matter in court.

Alleged treason charges against Clr Juwairiya Kaldine

According to the community, the SAPS has allegedly opened a case against Ward 18 Clr Juwairiya Kaldine, who stopped the illegal eviction on October 23. This has not been confirmed by SAPS.

Kaldine arrived at the scene while law enforcement officers were preparing to confiscate the building materials.
Upon her arrival, she demanded to see a copy of the eviction order, which the police failed to produce before they withdrew from the operation.

During the picket at the police station on October 27, Ward 17 Clr Dwain Ponsonby addressed the demonstrators in the absence of Kaldine.

He said: “As we know, after she spoke the truth on Thursday when we went to the site, cases were opened.”
He regarded the cases launched against Kaldine as serious and are treated as high-priority.

“Fortunately for us, it is non-executable at this point because it is now a profile docket that has to go for further investigation,” said Ponsonby.

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Kasaan said there is also an attempt to punish their councillor for supporting the community during the eviction.

“We want to be very clear. The community stands with our councillor. No one will intimidate us into silence when our rights are being violated.

“Our message is simple: we will not be pushed aside. We will defend our homes, our dignity, and our leaders who stand with us,” he said.

The illegal site has since grown to accommodate 23 new shacks adding, to the initial seven that were demolished.
Soweto Urban contacted Eldorado Park SAPS and Johannesburg District police for a comment. No comment was received at the time of publication.