Since their arrival last Wednesday on the land previously occupied by a cattle farmer between Eerste Fabrieke railway station and Nellmapius, petrol bombs have been hurled at two shacks by unknown people at night. No casualties have been reported.

The former Phomolong residents said a group of unknown people tried to stop them from occupying the area, claiming that the land was meant to accommodate people from Nellmapius and Phase One.

The relocation of scores of families followed a burst main water supply pipe that destroyed and flooded shacks in the informal settlement in Mamelodi East in the early hours of last Monday. The incident claimed the lives of two children.

Nokuthula Mtsweni, 31, of 1143 Extension 6 had her shack dismantled on Friday morning and her belongings loaded onto a truck, but claims it was unloaded again "because officials claim there was a problem with my registration".

Edward Lebea, 34, said they were sleeping when a petrol bomb hit the side of the shack facing the street at about 1am.

"We woke up and found rags doused with petrol forced into the joints of our shack and a burning petrol bomb. We extinguished it and alerted police."

The attacks took place despite patrols by the metro police. Attempts to get comment from the Tshwane Metro Police Department and the disgruntled group proved unsuccessful at the weekend.