With Human Rights Day events set to take place across the country tomorrow, South Africans have an opportunity to reflect on the human rights achieved since the advent of democracy. However, residents near Esselen Park on Gauteng’s East Rand say there’s not much to reflect on as they do not have a place to sleep tonight, following evictions by Ekurhuleni Metro Police earlier today.
Residents want the evictions halted:
Last week, the High Court in Johannesburg dismissed the residents’ application against the evictions. Community leader Rodney Mabuza says they occupied the land in 2020 after they lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and could not afford to pay rent.
“The problem is that we started when COVID started because we were no more working. Because the landlords wanted money we decide to occupy this place which has been here empty for the past 28 years. It was a dumpsite. But when the EMPD came here they started demolishing our shacks with beds and everything they started burning it. So we need the mayor to stop these evictions because when they come here don’t even have any paper to prove that they want us out of here.”
