By Simba Rushwaya

News Editor

PRETORIA– TWO people losing their lives, several buses set on fire and a journalist robbed at gunpoint.

These are some of the gruesome incidents that turned Hammanskraal into a warzone as protests from the informal settlement exploded after the City of Tshwane carried out evictions on land said to be illegally occupied by the residents.

It has emerged a tribal chief, who had been trying since 2014 to get people off the property, owns the land at the centre of conflict.

“I have never been this scared. I was going to die,” remarked the journalist after escaping the harrowing incident.

One might have been pardoned for mistaking the events in Hammanskraal to those in war torn countries such as Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) or the usual shenanigans displayed by rogue elements such as Boko Haram and Al Queda.

But alas, this was in Northern Tshwane where residents blew off following evictions that might have exposed them to the harsh winter weather.

The evictions were legal, the City of Tshwane argues.

Following the disturbances, the mayor of the City of Tshwane, Kgosientso Ramokgopa, expressed “deep concern” at the acts of violence, displacements, and confrontations, loss of property and gross disregard as well as violation of human rights every time evictions took place.

“Our experience is that evictions leave behind a trail of pain, which could be avoided and minimized, as we treated even those of our ungovernable citizens with respect rather than a sense of punishment,” he said

Ramokgopa said the protests were “illegal” and urged residents to comply with the evictions and “seek alternative accommodation in time, protect their valuable properties or simply vacate the properties,”

“Our intention was to take care of vulnerable groups and minimize unnecessary confrontations.”

Predictably, the evictions have been a divisive issue among political parties.

While the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) sings from the same hymn with Ramogkopa, it blames the African National Congress (ANC)-led administration for the chaos.

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EEF) says the residents were correct in “taking up arms” against the “legal” eviction.

DA’s Tshwane Mayoral candidate, Solly Msimanga condemned the violence that engulfed Hammanskraal.

“I urge my fellow political leaders to join me in renouncing the violence. We cannot tolerate any political rhetoric from radical parties that could incite further violence and an increased loss of life,” said Msimanga.

“Instead we must seek a lasting solution to this housing crisis of Mayor Ramokgopa and the ANC’s making. At times like this, we need all sectors of the community, political, religious and civil society to come together and lead our people to peaceful dialogue aimed at reaching a lasting solution for all parties involved.”

EFF encouraged the City of Tshwane instead to “retreat.”

“In a country of high levels of destitution, landlessness and homelessness, it is unacceptable that a democratic government would employ the same tactics of forced removals as an illegitimate regime like apartheid,” EFF stated.

Ramogkopa denounced the violence.

“It is a sad day indeed that we are witnessing loss of lives by our own brothers. Families are being robbed on fathers, brothers, and sons because of extremist hell bent on breaking the law and destroying everything in their paths,” the mayor said.

Although normalcy had returned to the settlement at the time of going to print, the residents remained defiant by still occupying the land.

Tshwane Metropolitan Police Spokesperson, Senior Superintendent Isaac Mahamba, was adamant the residents must vacate the land.

“You can’t build a shack on someone else’s land,” says, adding that, “The fact remains that the people have occupied the land illegally. We might continue with evictions but we can’t disclose the operational plan,” Mahamba has been quoted as saying.

Violence broke out in the township last Monday when employees of the Red Ants security company, police and the Metro Police arrived to flatten their shacks and evict them.

Two people were killed and six injured during the altercation with the residents.

Five people were arrested, one of them for murder.

Social commentators cite the looming 2016 municipal elections as the root cause of the widespread violence.

Human Rights lawyer, Gabriel Shumba, raised suspicion.

“It is just the timing of the evictions that is suspicious because those people have been staying there for a long time. If the City of Tshwane are doing this armed with an eviction order, legally they are correct, but according to the constitution they can only take such drastic action unless they provide alternative accommodation for the residents.

“There is every reason to suspect that these people are being displaced so that they don’t vote in the next election. By evicting them without alternative shelter, they are violating human rights, but this (violence) happens every time there is an election,” said Shumba.

Political commentator, Ralph Mathegka, concurred with Shumba regarding the timing of the evictions but denounced the prevalence of violence.

“This trend of engaging in violent activities is worrisome. There is no doubt that the forthcoming elections have a bearing in what is happening, but violence has no place in our society,” said Mathekga.

– Guardian