Occupiers evicted from Alex social housing containers

Hundreds of people who have been occupying the brightly coloured shipping containers earmarked for social housing in Alexandra, Johannesburg were evicted on Wednesday. Photos: Silver Sibiya

• Two groups of families who had been occupying brightly coloured shipping containers earmarked for social housing in Alexandra, Johannesburg were evicted on Wednesday.
• This is the second time one of the groups were evicted forcefully from the containers.
• In February, families who had also unlawfully occupied another block of containers were evicted by the City of Johannesburg.
• These residents went on to stay in the streets, opposite the units for about six months before occupying the containers again.
• A different group of families then occupied another block of the incomplete containers in August.
• The City’s mayco member for human settlements Mlungisi Mabaso says the City would not tolerate criminality, and that it was still waiting for completion certificates to confirm the structures were safe for habitation.

Hundreds of people who have been occupying the brightly coloured shipping containers earmarked for social housing in Alexandra, Johannesburg were evicted on Wednesday.

In February families who had also unlawfully occupied another block of containers further down the road on 4th Avenue were evicted by the City of Johannesburg. These residents went on to stay in the streets, opposite the units for about six months where they built make-shift shacks before occupying the containers again.

Some of the container units were set up to mitigate the spread of Covid at the height of the pandemic. When the City set up the Transitional Relocation Areas (TRA) containers, it announced plans to move 1,600 people from densely populated parts of the township, such as Setswetla.

But when they were left empty for years, families, most of whom are backyarders and renters, from across the overpopulated Alexandra township, occupied them.

On Wednesday, the area outside these blocks of incomplete social housing containers was chaotic as men in blue overalls stormed the containers, removing beds, blankets, clothes, and other items belonging to the occupiers.

The families who previously had clashes with authorities in February and occupied the containers again months later were evicted on Wednesday along with the group that had only occupied a different block of containers in August.

The operation was conducted by members of the Johannesburg Metro Police Department, Public Order Police, and private security guards.

According to the occupiers, over 400 family and single units have been empty for years. Many of those who spoke to GroundUp said they were struggling to pay rent and had grown frustrated seeing these units vacant. This led to them occupying the structures last month, they said.

“We were expecting them at 4am because we were told they were coming but when they finally came we were waiting outside so that they wouldn’t accuse us of trespassing. Many of those who went to work will be surprised when they return and find their belongings outside,” said Mimi Modise, who lived with her two children.

The unemployed mother said she occupied one of the units with other families on 10 August because rent had become too expensive for her. “We rely on social grants for survival, and paying rent with the same money got too expensive … I have nowhere to go,” she added.

People’s beds, clothes, and many other items were removed and left on the side of the road opposite the containers.

Another resident Vivian Mahonisi said she would now have to sleep on the street. “Where I’m sitting here is where I’ll sleep,” she said, pointing to her mattress and other items which were on the pavement.

“Why don’t they let us stay?” she asked. She said none of the units had water or electricity.

Mayco member for human settlements Mlungisi Mabaso told GroundUp that the City would not tolerate criminality.

He said the City was still waiting for completion certificates to confirm the structures were safe.

“The project is incomplete, and those are not just brick-and-mortar structures; it’s a container. So we have to obtain the completion certificates, to confirm the structures are safe for occupation. We shouldn’t allow anyone to occupy because if they fall tomorrow, who will take responsibility for them?”

He said it was necessary to remove the occupiers to make way for the units to be allocated to rightful social housing beneficiaries. “There shouldn’t be any development in Johannesburg where people will just decide to allocate themselves and nothing happens afterward.”

We asked the City’s human settlements spokesperson Neo Goba why it had taken years to place beneficiaries in the units among other questions, but Goba referred us to a Johannesburg Social Housing Company official. The article will be updated with their response once received.

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