The removal of people from the Thamboville informal settlement near Benoni on Johannesburg’s East Rand turned violent when residents clashed with police on Tuesday.
Ekurhuleni metro police spokesperson Superintendent Vusi Mabanga said the relocation of residents to Albert Luthuli Park informal settlement, also in Benoni, was supposed to start at 6am.
Some of the group were not willing to relocate, as they claimed their new houses — which the housing department built for them — were too far from where they worked. Mabanga said they were worried it would now cost too much to get to work.
He said these residents stopped everyone from moving by intimidating those who were willing to move.
”They were given notice that today [Tuesday] is D-Day and they will be forcefully removed if they don’t go,” said Mabanga.
Gauteng housing department spokesperson Mongezi Mnyani said the relocation had become ”politicised” with rumours that some local politicians had mobilised residents to oppose the relocation.
He said as part of government’s programme to eradicate informal settlements, about 1 114 ”formal” houses had been built in the Albert Luthuli settlement, of which 167 had been allocated to residents of Thamboville.
He said there would be an average of five people per household.
According to Mabanga, when the Red Ants, metro police, police and housing officials arrived early on Tuesday, about 800 people blocked the main street to the settlement ”chanting revolutionary songs”.
The angry residents were told their gathering was illegal and they were given 15 minutes to disperse. When that time was up and they had still not left, police fired rubber bullets to disperse the crowd who started throwing stones at police, Red Ants and housing officials.
Eighteen people were injured during the shooting, and were taken by ambulance to separate hospitals.
Two people were arrested, one for pointing his 9mm pistol, and another for possession of a gun.
According to Mabanga, even if one is legally in possession of a gun, one is not allowed to carry any weapon during a gathering of people, as it is assumed such a gathering will be peaceful.
By late afternoon the situation had returned to normal, as people were told to return to their shacks and pack their belongings.
As people were loaded into trucks and taken to their new houses, their old shacks were being demolished.
The relocation was expected to continue on Wednesday due to the delay. — Sapa