The angry residents of Tshenolong Informal Settlement in Ramochana outside Rustenburg took it to the streets and blocked R510 with burning tyres. This after their homes were allegedly destroyed by the Rustenburg Local Municipality last week Wednesday.
The residents claimed that they were ready to rebuild their homes after they were demolished. The municipality appointed attorneys who applied for a court order at the High Court of South Africa in Mahikeng and subsequently obtained it to evict the invaders.
It should be noted that no court will issue an eviction order without having convinced itself that there has been proper service of the notice of motion on all the unlawful invaders on the said mentioned property.
Notice of the court order stated that any other persons are ordered not to invade the remainder of portion one of the farm town and townlands of Rustenburg and from demarcating, erecting or causing to be demarcated on any of the portions thereof any structure for occupation.
The municipality agrees that the court order was obtained in October 2019, and other factors have led to the said order. The traditional leader of Bashiga ba Raphafana, Elias Setuke, said they are going to take steps against the municipality.
“It’s illegal and it is also inhumane. Now, the steps that we are going to take, I am going to call that community, every one of them, they must show us the plan and the structure of their house. We are going to fight the Rustenburg Local Municipality to rebuild the houses they have demolished," said Setuke.
Many residents said they will not move until the municipality allocates them land, while some said they could not afford to rebuild their homes.
