FIFTEEN members of the Miya family in Umlazi's J-section have been forced to sleep on the roadside after a bank repossessed their four-roomed house and sold it to new owners "without their knowledge".
Included in the family are five children between none months and 9 years.
Since Tuesday night the family has been sleeping on a nearby pavement.
Among them is Themba Miya, 54, who is semi-paralysed after suffering a stroke recently, his wife Hloniphile, 53, and their children and grandchildren.
Baso Miya said her parents and the rest of the family were left with nothing.
Their problems began in August when two men, who identified themselves as agents, arrived at their home and demanded to speak to her mother.
The men informed them that the house no longer belonged to them and had been sold.
"The house belonged to my grandparents and our mother inherited in from them when they died," Baso said. "So my mother was born and bred in this house and so were we.
"It shocked us when we were told that it had been repossessed and sold to other people."
Baso said that the "agents" informed them that their brother had borrowed R50000 from a local bank and had used the title deed to their home as a guarantee.
The brother has long disappeared.
"The house was in my mother's name and we don't know how he could use it as collateral for a loan.
"When he lost his job and failed to continue paying the monthly installments of R700 the bank repossessed the house and sold it."
Baso said said the bank had informed them that the matter was now in the hands of the lawyers.
"Their lawyer told us that we had to pay R10000 or move out of the house," she said.
"We only managed to get R4000. We went to our councilor, who advised us to contact the Legal Aid Board, but we could not get help from there either,"
After all attempts jad failed, the family was finally kicked out of the house.
Two of the children, Grade 9 pupils, have been forced to quit school because of the problem.
Local councilor Mathombi Mnyandu was not available for comment.
When Sowetan went with the family to their old home there was no one in sight and the door locks had been changed.
No comment was received from the bank.
Family forced to sleep on pavement
FIFTEEN members of the Miya family in Umlazi's J-section have been forced to sleep on the roadside after a bank repossessed their four-roomed house and sold it to new owners "without their knowledge".
Included in the family are five children between none months and 9 years.
Since Tuesday night the family has been sleeping on a nearby pavement.
Among them is Themba Miya, 54, who is semi-paralysed after suffering a stroke recently, his wife Hloniphile, 53, and their children and grandchildren.
Baso Miya said her parents and the rest of the family were left with nothing.
Their problems began in August when two men, who identified themselves as agents, arrived at their home and demanded to speak to her mother.
The men informed them that the house no longer belonged to them and had been sold.
"The house belonged to my grandparents and our mother inherited in from them when they died," Baso said. "So my mother was born and bred in this house and so were we.
"It shocked us when we were told that it had been repossessed and sold to other people."
Baso said that the "agents" informed them that their brother had borrowed R50000 from a local bank and had used the title deed to their home as a guarantee.
The brother has long disappeared.
"The house was in my mother's name and we don't know how he could use it as collateral for a loan.
"When he lost his job and failed to continue paying the monthly installments of R700 the bank repossessed the house and sold it."
Baso said said the bank had informed them that the matter was now in the hands of the lawyers.
"Their lawyer told us that we had to pay R10000 or move out of the house," she said.
"We only managed to get R4000. We went to our councilor, who advised us to contact the Legal Aid Board, but we could not get help from there either,"
After all attempts jad failed, the family was finally kicked out of the house.
Two of the children, Grade 9 pupils, have been forced to quit school because of the problem.
Local councilor Mathombi Mnyandu was not available for comment.
When Sowetan went with the family to their old home there was no one in sight and the door locks had been changed.
No comment was received from the bank.
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