The Zimbabwean visited the affected Zimbabweans who are now cramped in front of the building along Jeppe Street. Some Zimbabwean women were cooking on the streets using a paraffin stove.
Trouble started on Friday when Donovan Reed who owns SNG security came to Jah Crucial building with some security guards from his company and arrested the committee members, including Richard Sithole and Philani Hlophe. The committee members have in the past thwarted attempts by Mr. Reed to evict them from the building. The committee members were taken to Johannesburg Central where they were detained until Tuesday. The were later released with no charge being laid against them.
On Thursday, Donovan Reed came with some armed guards who started beating people in the building without allowing them to collect their belongings. One of the affected Zimbabweans Amon Daka said: The security guards used sjamboks to beat us and throw our belongings out. Some were beaten with the butt of weapons. We were not even shown the eviction order. They were very violent and kicked the doors randomly with no respect for privacy.
The 11 floor building housed South Africans, Malawians, Zambians and Zimbabweans. More than 500 people were staying in the building. Tendai Nyariya, a Peace Action Monitor member says he witnessed the violent eviction and captured it on video.
The security guards were violent and rude. I tried to negotiate that the occupants be allowed to collect their belongings with no success. Donovan came with some trucks with bricks and cement and they started building a wall which closed the stairs to prevent the people from going up stairs to collect their belongings. They also sealed the main entrance with some metal sheets.
Some residents were unable to collect their important documents like passports and certificates.
Seri have provided the evicted people with a lawyer who are challenging their eviction in court. The Moslem community is providing the people with food while the Gift of the Givers has donated blankets. The video which was taken by Tendayi is being used in court as evidence. The Zimbabweans say they have been staying in the derelict building for the past four years and were not paying rent, electricity or water bills.
Post published in: News