Hundreds of residents evicted from informal settlement in Limpopo

Hundreds of residents at an informal settlement in Limpopo were evicted on Tuesday.

The City of Polokwane Municipality carried out the evictions‚ demolishing over 200 shacks at the Disteneng informal settlement near Seshego after obtaining a court order against the illegal occupants.

Spokesman for the municipality Mathidiso Mothapo said the city had been battling with illegal occupations in that area for years. Mothapo said the municipality previously had to relocate 1‚600 residents to different parts of Disteneng after the property was first invaded.

He said the land was invaded again by second group of people who were now hindering progress and preventing the municipality from developing the area into a proper township.

Police were in the area as municipal workers and residents dismantled the shacks. Some residents complained that they would not have a place to go.

Rebelani Ramushana‚ 47‚ said he would be left out in the streets with his wife and children.

"I'm not happy about this because I don't have anywhere else to go. I'm unemployed and will not be able to afford rent‚" Ramushana said. Elias Lebepe also said he would be stranded. "They cannot just evict us like this without finding us another place to stay. Where will we sleep tonight?" Lebepe asked. Last week residents attempted to prevent the evictions by staging a violent protest.

The Nelson Mandela drive between Polokwane and Seshego was blocked with burning tyres and rocks for hours.

- SowetanLIVE