Residents unite against unlawful evictions in Alexandra
As tensions between an anti-illegal immigration group and residents of Alexandra in Ext 9 escalate, community members gathered on June 28 to tackle the issue of illegal evictions in their area.
Residents have endured weeks of torment by the group, constantly being threatened to pack their belongings and leave their homes. On June 18, the situation escalated when the group began burning residents' belongings. One of the houses they ransacked lies empty, with broken doors.
'We do not even have a place to sleep. We are just trying to survive. Everything we had inside the house was burned. I don't have my ID. We don't have anything. Children's clothes were burnt,' said Lucky Moima, whose mother was accused of being a foreign national from Lesotho.
Also read: Vigilante group evicts people and seizes homes in Alexandra
The Moima family not only lost their possessions but also their source of income. Fourteen tenants occupying rooms on their property were forcefully removed. Despite the violence, Moima remains defiant. 'I am fighting for what is mine. I will stand my ground and even if they kill me, they will do so knowing that I am not an illegal immigrant.'
The same day, another resident, Joseph Modiba, faced similar intimidation. He recounted how the group arrived at his home unannounced. 'They said they were there to evict my children and me. I do not know those people. I am a South African. We tried hard to organise a meeting with some of the well-known illegal immigration groups… But they said they do not know who sent the men to my house because they do not fight with South African citizens.'
ActionSA Ward 105 chairperson Tumelo Shai condemned the group, noting that if they were true community leaders as they claim, they would protect residents. 'Isn't that what they are saying, that they are protecting us and are fighting for us to have houses. But how can they fight for us to have houses if they are the ones who oppress us?'
Also read: 'Illegal connections are the main impact for load reduction'
Detective Colonel Daniel Raletlhaka confirmed the group had no legal authority to carry out evictions, regardless of the residents' immigration status. Although the first incident was reported on June 6, no arrests have been made due to difficulties identifying suspects.
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