PORT ELIZABETH, February 23 (ANA) – Police in Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape have arrested five people on charges of public violence after angry Wells Estate community members burnt tyres and protested evictions in the area.
Police spokesperson, Constable Mncedi Mbombo said the five community members were being held at Swartkops Police Station.
Although the protest had simmered down by Thursday afternoon, police continued to maintain a strong presence.
About around 300 residents gathered in the area demanding to speak to African National Congress (ANC) Ward 60 Councillor Mvuzo Mbelekane.
Mbelekane said the people who were being evicted from the informal settlement had come to Wells Estate from different parts of the metro.
“I was not happy with the manner in which the municipality handled the evictions, when you evict people you must have alternative solutions. The issue has to do with people occupying houses illegally and apparently there is a lot of corruption in that process,” said Mbelekane.
More than 200 residents were were said to be illegally occupying a piece of land in the area. Last month the municipality obtained a court interdict to remove the land invaders.
Municipal vehicles were warned to steer clear of the Wells Estate area in Motherwell after protests flared up around evictions.
However, on Thursday, furniture items were removed from shacks in ward 60 before they were demolished by bulldozers.
The Bay’s political leader for Human Settlements, Nqaba Banga, said the issue stemmed from people illegally occupying houses and the municipality needed to evict them in order to eradicate informal settlements.
“There are a group of people who are selling houses illegally, people who have already been subsidised, it is people trying to find another way of getting another house and there are corrupt officials who are collaborating with residents,” said Banga.
The process was being “blocked” by people who were occupying space illegally, Banga said.
“We want to move forward with this, but the process is being blocked. In Uitenhage we have 3,500 units ready but 100 people are occupying illegally and are blocking the process. In Ekupumleni we have 345 units to be developed but 40 people are blocking the process.”
Banga said that he had just recently been informed that three officials were allegedly selling off illegal sites.
“It’s a web of corrupt activity and people are being instigated. As a municipality we have a housing programme and we want people to follow it. We as a municipality are eradicating informal settlement and no municipality can allow people to occupy land illegally,” said Banga.
He said those who were affected by evictions in Wells Estate would now have to “go back to where they came from”.
Banga said the court found that the evicted people had been occupying the land illegally, which nullified any obligation the municipality might otherwise have had to find them alternative accommodation.
Banga warned that the municipality cannot “simply arrange alternative accommodation” as this would amount to promoting informal settlements.
– African News Agency (ANA)
