Gallery Video
GEORGE NEWS AND VIDEO - The George Municipality, accompanied by the Public Order Police, destroyed a number of illegal shacks at the back of All Bricks area in Thembalethu on Monday 23 April.
The Director of Municipal Protection Services, Steven Erasmus, confirmed that the municipality has taken action against the illegal occupation of municipal land as per a standing court order.
Nkosekhaya Mchithwa, who was speaking to the police on behalf of the community, told the George Herald that the municipality didn't give them any warning before demolishing the shacks and that the officials promised that they wouldn't destroy the complete structures but only the incomplete ones.
"Some people whose houses are being demolished are not even here. They are still at work. Imagine when they come back to find out that their houses are no more.
"People are desperate for land, we have been on the housing waiting list for many years and we are still waiting for those houses. The people are now at the stage of being impatient with promises," said Mchithwa.
Watch a video below.
The demolition took place in this valley. Photos: Zolani Sinxo
Municipal Law Enforcement is monitoring the situation with the assistance of the police.
This land invasion follows just a month after people of this area took to the streets to protest against service delivery on Monday 19 March. They marched to the George municipal offices to deliver a memorandum of grievances, which included lack of sanitation and electricity.
Public Order Police stand guard.
When they did not receive a satisfactory response from the municipality, residents staged a violent protest in the early hours of Friday 23 March, attempting to block roads and burn tyres in Thembalethu, but they were pushed back by the police and the municipality resolved the issue with them.
Read a previous article: Shacks demolished in Thembalethu
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