Residents in ward 25 are living in fear as the eThekwini Municipality's Land Invasion Unit marks homes for demolition, leading to protests and community unrest.
Image: DOCTOR NGCOBO Independent Newspapers
Residents whose homes were marked for demolition in an informal settlement in ward 25, Durban, say they are living in fear and uncertainty after eThekwini Municipality’s Land Invasion Unit moved into the area over the weekend, sparking protests and road closures.
The demolition operation triggered anger among residents, who accused the city of targeting homes that have been occupied for years, while city officials defended the action as necessary to prevent unsafe and illegal land occupations.
Speaking on the matter, City Manager Musa Mbhele said the municipality had a constitutional and legal obligation to protect public and privately owned land from illegal occupation.
“With the invasion of land, which is really happening, as a city we have a responsibility to protect privately owned, government owned, public owned masses of land against invasion,” Mbhele said.
“If we don’t obtain a court order to demolish them, every square metre in the city could become occupied by shacks.”
Mbhele said many informal structures were erected in dangerous areas not suitable for human settlement, including unstable land prone to flooding and near electrical infrastructure.
“Some of these shacks are built on land that is not connected to service delivery for the population. Some are built on unstable land. When floods come, those people are affected,” he said.
“So we are not doing it because we don’t care. We are doing it because we want to protect lives.”
He added that some residents were living underneath power stations and in environmentally hazardous zones, placing them at risk during heavy rains and disasters.
Mbhele said the city was also under pressure to act quickly due to legal timeframes governing unlawful occupation cases.
“If you don’t demolish within a specific time, you may never be able to demolish,” he said.
“And once people are settled there permanently, the municipality is obligated to provide services, because failing to do so would violate constitutional rights.”
Despite criticism from affected residents, Mbhele insisted the municipality was not abandoning displaced families.
“We don’t want them sleeping outside and becoming victims of crime,” he said.
“We don’t just demolish. We also ensure people are accommodated, particularly in cases where there are special circumstances or flood victims.”
Meanwhile, Ward 25 councillor Themba Mkhize said he was informed by residents on Friday that homes including some occupied for nearly two years, had suddenly been marked with an “X” for demolition.
Mkhize said he immediately contacted the Speaker’s office after learning about the situation.
“Residents told me their houses were being demolished. Some of these people have been living there for a long time,” he said.
Tensions escalated on Sunday when angry residents barricaded roads in protest.
“The community was very angry and they closed the road,” Mkhize said.
“I told them let us not burn the roads. I requested a peaceful march to City Hall because even I do not have answers.”
The councillor said he had been attempting to secure meetings with senior municipal officials to explain why occupied homes were being demolished.
“If people have been living there for this long, someone must come and explain how it got to this point,” he said.
Mkhize also criticised the municipality’s Land Invasion Unit, claiming councillors were often excluded from communication around demolitions.
“They don’t tell us anything as councillors. They don’t even want to talk to us,” he said.
He warned that tensions could spiral into violence if authorities failed to engage affected residents.
“I don’t want people clashing with police because then force will be used and people will get arrested or injured,” he said.