Residents of Bramley, northern Johannesburg, took to the streets yesterday demanding shacks erected close to their homes be removed.
Residents claimed the more than 800 shacks erected just a metre away from their homes devalued their houses.
They blocked roads with rocks and burning tyres claiming they were not consulted about the shacks.
Sam Denekis, 33, a resident of Bramley, said they wanted the shacks removed.
"The shacks are built just a metre away from bond houses. There are about 800 shacks there and people who live there get free water and electricity.
Protest action erupts in BramleyIt’s the first day of the new school term but children in Bramley View in Johannesburg will most likely be late for classes or miss school completely on Monday.
"There is a lot of noise, we can no longer sleep at night. We were never consulted about the shacks, " he said.
Another home owner, Moses Kobo, 48, said crime had increased in the area since the shacks were erected.
"It is uncontrollable. The city lost a case against the owner of land that these people occupy.
"The value of our houses is down and the rates are up. Our fight with government is for them to give these people proper structures," he said.
Steven Thamaga, 48, a community leader in the shacks settlement, said they had nowhere else to go.
"We hear their cry, but we are landless. We are not happy that we were moved from shacks to new shacks, but we were given an opportunity and we took it.
"We do not have another place to go. The municipality told us that this was temporary until they find us an alternative place," he said.
Shack dweller Morris Baloyi said he had been living at the informal settlement for more than 20 years, long before the city built them the shiny shacks.
"Life is so much better now that we have services. Some houses found us here," Baloyi said.
"I admit that people make a lot of noise and they (homeowners) are also right when they complain about the value of their houses, but they should have raised the issue a long time ago. "
The City of Joburg did not respond to requests for comment at the time of going to print.
Fed-up Bramley residents want shacks out of their suburb
Residents of Bramley, northern Johannesburg, took to the streets yesterday demanding shacks erected close to their homes be removed.
Residents claimed the more than 800 shacks erected just a metre away from their homes devalued their houses.
They blocked roads with rocks and burning tyres claiming they were not consulted about the shacks.
Sam Denekis, 33, a resident of Bramley, said they wanted the shacks removed.
"The shacks are built just a metre away from bond houses. There are about 800 shacks there and people who live there get free water and electricity.
"There is a lot of noise, we can no longer sleep at night. We were never consulted about the shacks, " he said.
Another home owner, Moses Kobo, 48, said crime had increased in the area since the shacks were erected.
"It is uncontrollable. The city lost a case against the owner of land that these people occupy.
"The value of our houses is down and the rates are up. Our fight with government is for them to give these people proper structures," he said.
Steven Thamaga, 48, a community leader in the shacks settlement, said they had nowhere else to go.
"We hear their cry, but we are landless. We are not happy that we were moved from shacks to new shacks, but we were given an opportunity and we took it.
"We do not have another place to go. The municipality told us that this was temporary until they find us an alternative place," he said.
Shack dweller Morris Baloyi said he had been living at the informal settlement for more than 20 years, long before the city built them the shiny shacks.
"Life is so much better now that we have services. Some houses found us here," Baloyi said.
"I admit that people make a lot of noise and they (homeowners) are also right when they complain about the value of their houses, but they should have raised the issue a long time ago. "
The City of Joburg did not respond to requests for comment at the time of going to print.
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