Witness: Cato Crest Demolitions Halted

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Cato Crest Demolitions Halted

Demolition: Residents get reprieve
19 Jan 2012
Skhumbuzo Miya

RESIDENTS from the Durban informal settlement of Cato Crest received a
reprieve from the possible demolition of their shacks yesterday after
the eThekwini Metro Municipality called for a halt to the bulldozing.

Spokesperson for the municipality, Thabo Mofokeng, confirmed yesterday
that eThekwini Mayor James Nxumalo and head of the municipality’s
housing department, councillor Nigel Gumede, held a meeting with the
residents where a decision was reached that no shacks will be demolished
until alternative accommodation is found.

The shacks were being taken down to make way for the building of
government-subsidised houses. But the reprieve came too late for five
households whose homes were bulldozed on Monday.

Mofokeng said although the community had agreed that shacks will be
voluntarily demolished, some members of the community — most of whom are
tenants — failed to apply for the houses, and were reluctant to move.

“The municipality was not involved in the demolition of shacks, but the
local community had decided that they will voluntarily vacate them.”

He said there will be a meeting on February 5 where a final decision
will be conveyed to the community about the way forward.

Residents complained that the decision to destroy their shacks was taken
by an ANC committee in the area, and they believed they were being
targeted because they were supporters of the Democratic Alliance (DA).

DA councillor Hlanganani Gumbi said DA’s top leaders, including members
of parliament, had to intervene to stop the demolition of shacks on
Monday while Gumbi and another DA councillor, Warwick Chapman, were
holding a meeting with Nxumalo over the matter.

Yesterday the DA provincial leader Sizwe Mchunu and other DA leaders
visited the area to hear grievances of the local DA members about the
demolitions.

Provincial police spokesperson Captain Thulani Zwane confirmed yesterday
that a case of illegal eviction of unlawful occupier of land was opened.