Johannesburg, 14 June 2007

[fsg_gallery id=”393″]A winter s day in Johannesburg 2007.

http://www.thetimes.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=492261

Evicted squatters torch building
June 14, 2007

Squatters allegedly torched the defunct Durban Deep Mine hospital in Roodepoort today after they had been served with an eviction notice, Johannesburg emergency services said.

The blaze was extinguished after three fire trucks were given a police escort onto the site because “thousands” of people had tried to bar them, emergency services spokesman Malcolm Midgley said.

“Our guys did a very good job under trying circumstances. As soon as we’d put out the fire in one part of the building, they set fire to the opposite side and threatened us.” No injuries were reported.

East Rand police spokeswoman Superintendent Thembi Nkwashu said nobody was arrested and no force was used to get the protesting inhabitants to disperse.

She said the owner of the property was currently in talks with them.

http://www.isolezwe.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=3885281

Bakhishwe ngoshova emijondolo

By BONGIWE MCHUNU

KUSUKE uthuthuva emijondolo ese-Durban Deep, entshonalanga yeGoli, izolo ekuseni ngesikhathi bekhishwa ngoshova futhi bedilizelwa nemijondolo yabo.

Le ndawo eyayihlala abasebenzi basezimayini kudala, yakhiwe eduzane nedolobha laseRoodepoort entshonalanga yeGoli. Ngokusho kwesinye sezakhamizi zakule ndawo uNkk Pauline Mthandani (63), bavuswe wumsindo ekuseni kanti bese kuwukutheleka kwama-Red ants ehambisana nabakwaMetro Police ukuzobakhipha. Ama-red ants abasebenzi benkampani eziqashwa ukukhipha abasuke behleli ngokunge-mthetho ezindaweni,

Ngizwe omunye ememeza ethi umshayelani umuntu omdala awuboni ukuthi lo muntu mdala na? Kube ukuvuka kwami nezingane njalo, kusho logogo ehleli eduze kwezimpahla zakhe ebezisaphazekile.

Kuthiwa ngaphambi kokufika kwabezindaba abakwaMetro Police nama-red ants bakhishwe ngoshova futhi bamiswa ekuqhubekeni nokudiliza lezi zindlu.

I-Durban Deep yindawo ehlanganise imijondolo nezindlu lapho okwakuhlala khona abantu ababesebenza kule mayini ngeminyaka yo-1940. Abahlali bakhala ngokuthi ngemuva kokuthi i-Durban Deep Gold Limited, ithengwe ngomunye umlungu ngo-2000 kwaba ukuqala kwezinkinga zabo.

Abahlali basemijondolo bathi bakhe eduze kwalezi zindlu nje, yingoba ngesikhathi kufika laba baphathi abasha, batshelwa ukuthi imali yerenti ezindlini izokhuphuka. Ngokusho kwabahlali bathi babekhokha u-R300 kumphathi omdala kodwa manje bese bepho-qelelwa ukuthi bakhokhe u-R1000 lona abangenawo.

Ubaba uNgwenya osehlale kule ndawo kusukela ngeminyaka yama-1940, eqala ukusebenza kule mayini, uthi kungaleso sikhathi-ke lomlungu aqala ukukhipha abantu ezindlini.

Abantu baqale ukwakha le mijondolo eseduze kwezindlu ngoba bengenayo indawo yokuhlala ngoba basebehlale lapha iminyaka eminingi, kusho uNgwenya.

UMnuz Elliot Mdi omunye wabahlali obuye abe ngumholi uthe le ndaba kade yaqala njengoba bazama ukuhlangana naye lo mlungu owathenga le mayini ukuze baxazulule lolu daba.

Kwakuwunyaka ka-2001 nokwathi uma kuphunywa kulowo mhlangano thina esakhishelwa ngaphandle kuwo, satshelwa ukuthi sihleli lapha ngokunge-mthetho, kuchaza uMdi.

Eqhubeka uthe baphinde batshelwa ukuthi lo mlungu unencwadi yasenkantolo yokuthi adilize imijondolo yethu .

Uthi bebengakulindele lokhu ukuthi kuzokwenzeka bebesazimisele ngokuhla-ngana naye futhi umphathi omusha ukuze kutholakale isisombululo. Isimo sibe manzonzo impela ngokuhamba kwesikhathi njengoba abahlali abadilizelwe imijondolo bese bevuke indlobane. Abanye bebebonakala bekhwele phezu kwamanye amabhilidi emayini behlumpula othayela ngoba bethi bafuna ukuyokwakha imijondolo yabo ediliziwe.

Amaphoyisa abephume ngobuningi bawo azamile ukuphemba lesisimo ngoba abahlali bese behlile futhi sebemile ekudilizeni lamabhilidi.

Published on the web by Isolezwe on June 15, 2007.