Delft Police Attempted To Illegally Evict A Family

This Evening The Delft Police Attempted To Illegally Evicting A Family From Their Home In New N2 Gateway BNG Government Houses

The original owner received the house 2 years ago and, because she already had a place to stay, immediately handed it over to a family of 6 who have been the tenants of the house until now. The act by the owner proves that, since she had an alternative place to stay, the owner had no right to receive the free government house in the first place.

However now, over 2 years later, the owner has returned and is demanding the eviction of the tenants who have nowhere else to go except the human dumping ground of Blikkiesdorp.

Due to the lack of housing in the area, the Delft police led by the notorious Inspector Daniels (on whom residents have repeatedly laid complaints of corruption, intimidation and abuse) entered the picture and made absurd demands that families must share these homes or be evicted by the police themselves.

Delft Anti-Eviction Campaign members have been present all night during the attempted eviction and are supporting the tenants' rights not to be evicted without a court order and not to be forced to share their home with a stranger. Still, Inspector Daniels and other Delft police officers have interrogated AEC members and have threatened to arrest anyone trying to oppose this illegal eviction process.

“The police are here and they say that if we interfere with their work they are going to put people in jail” said AEC activist Kareemah Linneveldt.

Eventually, after a few hours, the police left to go get a warrant to enter the house in question. Luckily, the Anti-Eviction Campaign was able to get a hold of a super-intendant of the Delft Police Station and informed him of the police officers' actions. After significant pressure from residents, the super-intendant forced the police to withdraw.

The AEC demands that people not accept free houses from government if they already have places to stay. Government must also do their job and prevent BNG/RDP houses from going to people who do not need them.

The AEC demands an end to illegal police-led evictions. According to South African law, the police cannot evict anyone – ever. The only government official with the right to carry out an eviction is the Sheriff of the Court and he/she can only do so with an official court order.

The AEC also demands that police stop intimidating poor residents and forcing them to enter into unfair agreements under duress such as sharing a home with complete strangers.

(The house in question is on Aberdale Street in Section 2 of the new N2 Gateway houses)

ENDS

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