Durban — Flood victims who were given eviction notices to move out of their Temporary Emergency Accommodation (TEA) by the eThekwini Municipality after the City found that they own RDP houses say they have nowhere to go.
The City said it gave marching orders to at least 26 flood victims after a verification process revealed that they have RDP houses registered in their names.
They have at least one month’s notice to leave the TEA.
In an eviction letter, the City said: “After an extensive verification process of all beneficiaries currently occupying TEA that were affected by the April 2022 storm disaster, there are many findings that were discovered which some of them disqualify some of the occupants to the temporary premises that were afforded to flood victims.”
The City further said that policy states that an individual can only benefit once in the government housing scheme.
Four of the victims who received notices reside in a flat on Mahatma Gandhi Road in South Beach.
They said they became flood victims after relocating from their RDP houses in rural areas to Durban to look for employment opportunities.
One of the residents facing eviction who did not want to be named said they are worried about where they will go as she and the other occupants are unemployed or have menial jobs and living from hand to mouth.
“I left my house back home in uMkhomazi to find work in the city and I came with my daughter to stay with my brother’s children in 2016 in Isipingo Beach, when he passed away.
“When the house was flooded, we stayed in a hall and they then moved us to a flat in South Beach.
“I have never hidden the fact that I have a house in Mkhunya Vulamehlo, even when filling out forms I did write down my former house address.
“They told us that they would accommodate us in smaller houses once the time to receive houses arrives,” she said.
She said that they received eviction notices on July 22 this year and they had less than seven days to evacuate.
“My question is, where will I go, especially in the middle of the year when the school year is not over? Must my child suffer?”
She said that the money she makes is not enough to pay for shelter at the moment and she would be stranded with her family.
Another victim, Bheki Hlatshwayo, said the municipality should not have changed its tune on what it promised them before.
“They don’t consider that we lived in Isipingo for a reason. We have been living in hard conditions of many families in one big room without any complaints, because we are in need of shelter. Now they want to cut down the number of people who were promised houses. They are saying that if we earn R3 500 we will not get housing,” he said.
Hlatshwayo said documents show that they were flooded but now they don’t qualify for houses.
“If we did not qualify after our houses were flooded, why did they keep us here for so long? We have never lied about having RDPs in the rural areas,” he said.
eThekwini Municipality spokesperson Gugu Sisilana said that the people who received eviction notices were misrepresenting facts to the media to gain public sympathy. The letters were issued to individuals who did not qualify after the verification process as these individuals were attempting to defraud the state. They took advantage of the situation by leaving their homes that were unaffected by the storm.
“Therefore, those that have been issued with letters must move back to their homes as they were not damaged or affected by the floods. The municipality will not find alternative accommodation for those that are defrauding the state at the expense of legitimate destitute flood victims,” she said.
Sisilana said that legitimate April 2022 flood victims had not been issued with notices as there was a resettlement plan in place to ensure that they lived in dignified homes.
She further said that out of 10 land parcels, five land parcels had received planning approval and were ready for construction.
“April 2022 flood victims were allocated at rental buildings called Temporal Emergency Accommodation (TEAs) across the city. During the verification of beneficiaries, it was discovered that there were 26 beneficiaries who have RDP houses which means they have already benefited from the government housing scheme. The policy states that an individual can only benefit once from the government housing scheme,” she said.
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