Durban — The KwaDukuza Municipality has dramatically demolished over 50 shacks at the Magebhula informal settlement near Shayamoya in Stanger, north of KwaZulu-Natal, leaving more than 400 residents homeless.
The incident, which happened on Thursday, has sparked outrage among community leaders and residents, who feel their plight has been ignored by local authorities.
Community leader Xolani Malinga did not mince his words, saying, “We will continue to fight for the rights of occupation for our residents, who still live in poverty. We will not be deterred by the police who are wielding guns. If they want to kill us, let them do that.”
Residents argued that the municipality should have provided alternative housing solutions. Many are unemployed and have nowhere else to go. Malinga said that the land was initially earmarked for RDP housing, yet after years of inaction, they felt compelled to occupy it, despite the looming threat of eviction.
“We will let them demolish our shacks because they have all the resources to do it, but we will rebuild,” he said, adding: “We want to build our own houses on the land reserved for the housing project: we have been waiting for a very long time now.”
This sentiment resonated through the settlement, established just four months ago and had seen a previous attempt at occupation thwarted by municipal authorities in 2022.
Residents have described the harsh reality of their current situation, with many left sleeping in open fields since the demolitions took place.
“We were kicked out of our houses by the municipality. We are stranded as I speak to you,” said Simo Ngcobo, a resident of Magebhula.
As the residents sparred with the municipality, some have begun to rebuild shacks to provide shelter for the most vulnerable.
“One shack had been rebuilt to accommodate children and a few adults most in need of shelter,” said Mandla Sibisi, one of the residents whose house was demolished.
Initially, municipal police and the SAPS arrived on-site to enforce the eviction, but they withdrew after negotiations with community leaders.
Thoko Mkhize, a resident who lost her home in the demolition, voiced her deep frustration.
“We are being victimised by the KwaDukuza Municipality. I have lost the house I built with my hard-earned money. This is painful,” said Mkhize, who purchased the plot from another resident in 2019 and built a four-room house by 2020.
Among those struggling is Ntombi Samani, a mother of five. She moved onto the land seeking to escape overcrowding at home and to avoid the burden of paying rent.
Relying on child support grants and a modest monthly income of R1 500, Samani expressed her desire for autonomy: “I wanted my own space with my children,” she said.
In contrast to the community’s claims, Sifiso Zulu, spokesperson for the KwaDukuza Municipality, said the shacks were allegedly “built in violation of a court order against occupation”.
“There are people who have been patiently waiting for their turn to receive houses,” said Zulu.
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Daily News