'We have right to evict illegal occupants'

The Johannesburg social housing company (Joshco) says it has the right to kick out illegal occupants who have been living at the Marlboro residential containers in Alexandra that it owns.

The entity said it has numerous court orders that protect the property from further invasions and that it has also increased security.

Dozens of residents in Alexandra were last week evicted from the shipping containers they had been living in illegally.

Videos of police officers and security guards kicking down locked doors, and throwing out belongings such as mattresses, fridges and blankets circulated on social media.

Joshco spokesperson Daisy Lesenyego said it has since increased the number of security personnel at the site and also provided tactical response when needed. The order had provisions for the SAPS and JMPD to remove unlawful invaders, she said.

The project cost close to R97m and is inclusive of the restorative works that had to be done after the site was invaded and vandalised, Lesenyego said. 

This is not the first time residents were kicked out of the shipping containers. They were kicked out earlier this year in February, which saw many, including pregnant women, sleeping on the streets. 

EFF councillor Moshe Mphahlele was shot and killed last month, allegedly during a scuffle between police and residents at a protest over the containers.

According to Joshco, the project was initially meant to be a shelter for homeless people during Covid-19 and to have it completed within three months but was delayed.

“These delays date back to Covid itself when working under strict restrictions impacted the sourcing of materials timeously, work stopping due to non-payment, price increases of materials, Numsa steel strike in 2022 impacting the availability of material, and continuous stoppages by the community requesting clarity on allocation of the units.  

“On November 4, 2020, Joshco received a letter from the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) and another one on February 3, 2021, on the site being investigated and work suspended. The withdrawal of the investigation was on September 30, 2021, and work resumed in August 2022,” said Joshco. 

The entity also said there was an invasion and vandalising of the site in March 2023.

The city took the invaders to court to and got a court order. It was able to successfully remove them in February 2024.

However, they kept moving back in.

“The projects were under construction when they were invaded and were not complete as they had not received occupation certificates,” said Joshco. 

“The city has incurred legal expenses in ensuring that the project reaches completion and is allocated accordingly. The city intends to use the units to ease congestion and improve the lives of the Alex community,” said Joshco. 

In an interview with the SABC, the EFF's Gift Mkansi said the party will table a motion to the council, demanding the immediate allocation of the containers. 

“The fact that houses remain empty while millions wait for decent accommodation is an indictment of the government’s indifference. [Russian revolutionary Vladimir] Lenin stressed the importance of addressing the material conditions of the masses and housing is a fundamental need that cannot be ignored.  

“The government’s failure to act on this housing crisis is a direct assault on the dignity of the people. The EFF will not rest until the people of Alexandra receive the homes they deserve. This is not just a matter of addressing a housing backlog, it is about restoring the dignity of the working class. The struggle for housing is a struggle for economic justice and the EFF stands firmly on the side of the people.” 

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