“We believe that the people of Lenasia have elected their political leaders who are supposed to be living among them...,” Sanco’s deputy president Lemias Mashile said in a statement.

“We therefore call for an immediate stoppage of the destruction of these houses in Lenasia and an immediate start of engagement of the political leaders with the community and its leaders.”  Thirty-seven houses were demolished on Thursday and another 14 a day later by the Gauteng housing department.

At least 113 houses had been identified for destruction as they were illegally built on land intended for government houses.

Department’s spokesman Motsamai Motlhaolwa said an investigation had found that fraudsters sold plots of land for amounts ranging from R2500 to R95,000.

Buyers were issued with fraudulent deeds of sale which bore the department’s official logo.

The remaining houses were yet to be demolished, said Motlhaolwa.