Residents of Avalon in the Steve Tshwete local municipality in Mpumalanga have accused the municipality of carrying out unlawful evictions, cutting basic services and forcibly relocating families.
The United Africans Transformation (UAT) party said it had been approached by Avalon residents who allege that since 2023, families have been removed from land they have occupied for more than 30 years without written notices or court orders.
The community claims this is in violation of section 26 of the constitution and the Prevention of Illegal Eviction from and Unlawful Occupation of Land Act.
According to UAT spokesperson Doer Manganyi, “residents were for years promised two-roomed houses by the municipality”.
“Those plans never materialised and the community was later informed it would be relocated to alternative areas.
“Residents rejected the proposal, citing safety and environmental concerns, particularly relocation to a wetland area in Newtown Extension 1 and to Doronkop, far from schools, work opportunities and support networks”, said Manganyi.
UAT said when residents refused to move, the municipality allegedly cut electricity, stopped servicing pit toilets and withdrew other basic services, despite residents paying for them.
While the municipality reportedly described the process to the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) as a “relocation”, residents experienced it as a forced eviction.
Health concerns
During a recent visit to Avalon, Mighty Mabule, UAT spokesperson, said conditions had deteriorated sharply. With sanitation services collapsed, residents are reportedly using buckets as toilets and disposing of waste in nearby bushes, raising serious health concerns.
Mabule said children, women and elderly residents were particularly affected.
The party recounted the case of an elderly woman whose home was allegedly demolished without notice or explanation, leaving her homeless and without alternative accommodation. “Her experience reflects what many families have endured,” said Manganyi.
Residents say the impact of the service cuts has been severe. Children struggle to study during prolonged electricity outages, the settlement has become unsafe and is poorly lit, and residents describe widespread trauma.
The community also reported the death of a seven-year-old child during this period, which they link to unsafe living conditions and displacement.
About 2,500 residential stands are affected, according to UAT.
The community has called for:
- An immediate halt to relocations and service disconnections, restoration of electricity and sanitation.
- The return of displaced residents to their original stands.
- An independent investigation into the alleged violations.
- The formal declaration of Avalon as a township with secure tenure and services.
“The community is not resisting development, but inhumanity and illegality,” UAT said, urging civil society, Chapter 9 institutions and the state to intervene urgently.
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