Scores of hostel residents in Polokwane left homeless

Some evicted tenants at the Garena Rental village in Ladanna in Polokwane, Limpopo, are accusing the Polokwane Municipality of conducting the evictions in an inhumane manner.

The municipality evicted 88 tenants from Garena and the Seshego hostels yesterday, stating they had defaulted on their rental obligations for several years.

Some of the evicted tenants say they did not receive notice of intention to evict them.

“It’s a very traumatising situation. It affected my kids. What happened to us is kind of unfair. You understand, that we were not given a court order. It’s inhumane! Who can you evict a six-year-old child? There is a woman who just gave birth how do you evict such a people,” says a tenant.

Another tenant says, “I just feel bad because, on my side, I did not receive anything to show they will evict us. We are homeless now. I’m on the street. I don’t know where to go, like I’m frustrated.”

Polokwane Municipality Housing Association Spokesperson, Abraham Makomoto, says tenants owe over R1,5 million.

He says all legal channels were followed before the evictions.

“We had to go and evict those people from our units. We have to act in the manner we acted to remove those people. I can only estimate that we are roughly not anything less than R1,5 million. Eviction is a legal process and the legal processes cost money. So, there are still those who have remained in this property who are still owing,” says Makomoto.