TEN people have been arrested during a housing protest in Johannesburg's Eldorado Park.
TEN people have been arrested during a housing protest in Johannesburg's Eldorado Park.
"They were arrested for public violence," Captain Phillemon Khorombi said yesterday of protests which started earlier on Wednesday and led to roads blocked with rocks.
Enver Naidoo, who lives in the area, said the protest centred on a group of disgruntled coloured residents who felt they were being overlooked in favour of black people for housing allocations.
The group found a vacant piece of land in Extension Nine and staked out their stands with string. They allegedly spent between R2000 to R5000 to buy zinc and wood to construct homes.
Then, said Naidoo, police arrived with trucks and dismantled their shacks and chased them off the land.
"When the black people sneeze, the government gets a cold," said Naidoo of the feeling they were being sidelined.
Their immediate concern was how they were going to get their money back for the confiscated building materials, as most were poor and struggling to buy school clothes and books for their children.
"That's our cry: what is government going to do?" In the meantime, they had been in contact with a ward councillor over their concerns and were waiting for feedback.
On Wednesday metro police fired rubber bullets while the group resisted the dismantling of about 2000 shacks.
Khorombi said the area was "quiet" yesterday morning, with Naidoo saying about 40 people were still at the site and were waiting for night shift workers to join them.
Those arrested were expected to appear in the Protea magistrate's court today. - Sapa
'Eldos coloured people also need housing'
TEN people have been arrested during a housing protest in Johannesburg's Eldorado Park.
TEN people have been arrested during a housing protest in Johannesburg's Eldorado Park.
"They were arrested for public violence," Captain Phillemon Khorombi said yesterday of protests which started earlier on Wednesday and led to roads blocked with rocks.
Enver Naidoo, who lives in the area, said the protest centred on a group of disgruntled coloured residents who felt they were being overlooked in favour of black people for housing allocations.
The group found a vacant piece of land in Extension Nine and staked out their stands with string. They allegedly spent between R2000 to R5000 to buy zinc and wood to construct homes.
Then, said Naidoo, police arrived with trucks and dismantled their shacks and chased them off the land.
"When the black people sneeze, the government gets a cold," said Naidoo of the feeling they were being sidelined.
Their immediate concern was how they were going to get their money back for the confiscated building materials, as most were poor and struggling to buy school clothes and books for their children.
"That's our cry: what is government going to do?" In the meantime, they had been in contact with a ward councillor over their concerns and were waiting for feedback.
On Wednesday metro police fired rubber bullets while the group resisted the dismantling of about 2000 shacks.
Khorombi said the area was "quiet" yesterday morning, with Naidoo saying about 40 people were still at the site and were waiting for night shift workers to join them.
Those arrested were expected to appear in the Protea magistrate's court today. - Sapa
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