Families out in the cold after farm eviction (IOL)

By Zelda Venter

Barely two metres from the busy R512 roadleading to Lanseria Airport and Hartbeespoortdam, eight families have bravedthe inclement weather after they were evicted from the farm on which some hadlived for more than 60 years.

The group ranges from the elderly to smallchildren.

On Sunday night when the Pretoria News visited the evictees,65-year-old Priscilla Masilo and Jeremiah Mokoena, 73, sat on plastic chairswith the others, huddled around a fire to keep warm.



Scattered around themwere their only belongings - blankets, mattresses and a few pots and pans.

Theyremembered the many years they worked on the nearby Botesdal from early morninguntil late.

Masilo was born on the farm in 1943. Her father worked there untilhe died in 1954 and Masilo and her grand-daughter had lived in a house theirfather built shortly before he died.

Mokoena, who was born in 1935 took overfrom Masilo's father and took care of the pigs on the farm. 



The groupincludes 63-year-old Louisa Sibeko, who is now confined to a wheelchair and whoworked on the farm as a tomato picker. She had to stop work 10 years agofollowing a stroke.

The families were evicted from the farm about a week agoand the City of Johannesburg wanted to relocate them to Adelaide TamboEmergency settlement next to sewerage works. 



But Masilo and her group refusedto be relocated to a place where the stench is so pungent that they can barelyeat their meals.

"We will stay here until they say we can go back to thefarm. That is our home and we worked on the farm for most of our lives,"Masilo said.

An eviction order was sought against Masilo and the group as thefarm is earmarked for further development. The issue went to court in 2007 andthe lawyer representing the group agreed to the eviction order without theirconsent . 



Masilo said nobody would listen to their objections and theirlawyer at the time merely told them to keep quiet. 

Masilo said they were toldafterwards that they had to vacate the farm, but were able to remain thereuntil when they were evicted with the help of Jumbo Security.

Lawyers forHuman Rights turned to the Land Claims Court in Randburg on Monday where theysought an urgent order to allow the people to return to the farm until thematter was resolved.

The matter was however postponed for a week.



Louise duPlessis, the lawyer acting on their behalf, said these people have been livingon the farm for years - some even for decades - and qualified as long-term occupiersunder the Extension of Security of Tenure Act.

The act gives occupiers anumber of rights, including that if a tenant is older than 60 years and hadbeen living on the particular property for longer than 10 years, he or shecannot be evicted, or in the alternative, must be suitably compensated. 

DuPlessis said the situation whereby the people were now living next to the road,was a disaster waiting to happen.




Thisarticle was originally published on page 3 of The Pretoria News on July 29, 2008