Eviction raids on two buildings in Hillbrow on Tuesday were merely punishing the poorest of the poor and not addressing their need for housing, a member of the Wits Law School said.
Stuart Wilson from the university’s Centre for Applied Legal Studies said people living in ”bad” buildings had a constitutional right to have their housing needs addressed by the state.
Residents at BJ Alexandra and Eagle Mount buildings, where up to 25 people have been squatting in one room, tossed blankets and other possessions out of windows as the Red Ants moved in with eviction orders. The Red Ants — nicknamed for their red overalls — are contracted to assist the sheriff of the court with evictions.
”I have been to take a look at the eviction. There are about 300 people being thrown out on to the streets with their goods,” Wilson told the South African Press Agency.
”This is unacceptable. People living in ‘bad’ buildings have a constitutional right to have their housing needs addressed progressively by the state.”
State action should not have the effect of pushing them into deeper poverty, less secure tenure and into even less healthy living conditions, he said.
”This is exactly what these evictions do. The municipality’s programme of evictions effectively victimises the poorest of the poor in the inner city of Johannesburg. The programme must stop.”
‘Faeces all over the place’
Inspector Kriban Naidoo said the evictions were happening after an early morning police raid on the buildings, where people have been paying R400 a month for a room.
He said 90 illegal immigrants and six wanted criminals were arrested in the raid which started around 2am.
Social workers had to be called in to remove 68 children who were found without parents.
”People were squatting in these buildings. There were toilets and there was faeces all over the place,” he said.
”We identified the wanted criminals on the morpho touch machines [electronic fingerprint machines]. The control room still needs to be contacted so that we know what they are wanted for.
”When we finished the sheriff of the court and the Red Ants moved in with eviction orders. When they came the people in the buildings started throwing blankets and their possession out of the windows.”
Naidoo said two unlicensed firearms were confiscated during the raids, as well as a shopping packet filled with dagga.
”These buildings are dangerous breathing holes for criminals,” he said.
The buildings, which are joined, are across the road from a gothic church and the old Windybrow Theatre. They are near to the old district surgeon on Claim Street.
The police say gangs are making around R345 000 a month from collecting rents from tenants in Hillbrow.
Two building managers in the suburb were assassinated in July by alleged building hijackers.
Naidoo said there are about 34 nationalities living in Hillbrow, many of who were said to be illegal immigrants.
”We are working hand in hand with the building owners and with the municipality,” Naidoo said.
”These raids are going to be held regularly now.” – Sapa