An estimated 3 000 people living in the Batsini informal settlement in Lenasia, south of Johannesburg, have been served with a notice of eviction.
The residents, some of whom claim to have been living in the area for up to 25 years have now approached the High Court in Johannesburg for relief.
This is one of a number of evictions the City of Johannesburg intends to carry out.
Community leader Lutendo Nebambura says, “The issue is that they want to evict us from Batsini and we feel its not fair to us because we have been there for so many years, its out home and we don’t have anywhere else to go, and then it was said we have to stop doing whatever we are doing whereas we have been staying there for a long time, they said they are giving us three days to respond.”
The City of Joburg says it has issued the notice because the residents were erecting new structures.
City spokesperson Nthatisi Modingoane says the notice was issued while the City approaches the High Court to obtain an order to evict.
Modingoane says, “The interdict was served by the sheriff of the court for people that are invading the land illegally to stop doing those actions because the court processes to obtain an eviction order is still underway so if people continue to do illegal things while the court process is underway it creates a problem.”
