SACP Gauteng strongly condemns yet another round of evictions of Newtown Housing Village Residents by the Johannesburg Housing Company using Red Ants

SACP Gauteng strongly condemns yet another round of forceful evictions of residents of Newtown Housing Village in Fordsburg, Johannesburg. These evictions were executed early this morning at 7h00 by the Johannesburg Housing Company, a sections 21 Company of the City of Johannesburg. They follow a court ruling by the Supreme Court of Appeal against the residents. These callous acts will affect at least 150 residents in addition to the estimated 170 who were evicted in the first round of evictions two weeks.

SACP sees these evictions as an inhuman and insensitive acts that violate dignity and human right of the residents who are the intended beneficiaries of government`s low cost housing programme. We are further disturbed that these repressive acts take place when the SACP and residents were still trying to assist more than 30 families who are still living in the street for at least two weeks now.

We are further disturbed that the people are being evicted from a property that is marred by serious allegations of corruption, fraud and maladministration. Ironically, this pilot project was started as a Cooperative model for housing service delivery for the poor and working class. This started in 1994 when the Cope Housing Association was registered as section 21 company.

We will investigate the main reasons that led to the voluntary liquidation of a Cooperative with rights of ownership by all residents and whether there were any amounts that were owed by residents as they were not paying rent. We will also establish the value of the liquidated property and the entire process of voluntary liquidation and why did the relevant government department failed to oppose the liquidation. We will look into the role of the National Housing Finance Cooperation in the whole funding and liquidation of the property. SACP will also seek to understand the role played by various foreign donors in the evolution of the property and its history. SACP vows to leave no stone unturned on this matter.

We will continue to investigate the history of the building especially as a Cooperative model which the SACP consider a progressive alternative to the current model of housing service delivery driven by BBBEE tenderpreneurs. We will follow up on the subsequent sale and acquisition of the building by the Johannesburg Housing Company.

We believe that the property syndicates and cartels that have been and continue to evict the working class from property and land in the inner City and around the province have been left for far too long to an extent that they believe they are above the law, the state and the working class.

SACP will continue to work with residents to fight evictions and to ensure that their rights to proper housing are restored. We will also intensify the fight against the wave of alleged looting of property in land and housing in the inner City of Johannesburg and the province as whole.

We are confident that through working class mobilisation, we will defeat the property mafias who include a coalition of class forces in the property market colluding with and manipulating organs of the state to unleash hardships on the working class and poor.

We call on the National Department of Human Settlement and the province to intervene urgently and decisively to save lives during this icy cold winter.

Issued on behalf of the SACP Gauteng Province

 

Contact:

Mamabolo Jacob: Provincial Secretary: 082 884 1868

Lucian Segami: Provincial Spokesperson: 079 522 0098