A row is brewing between a group of residents, including some vagrants living in the area and the local Ward Councillor, together with members of Laudium Disaster Management (LDM), concerning the alleged illegal removal of vagrants, illegal use of force and abuse of power.
This follows the increase of jobless and homeless people coming from outside areas into Laudium and the surrounding area, for food and money and thereafter making the area their new home, resulting in more and more vagrants sleeping in parks, abandoned homes, outside businesses, near homes adjoining vacant spaces, etc. The nearby Itireleng informal settlement, which came into existence, when a local family rented out the property to homeless people for them to live there, years back, has now extended into Atteridgeville, with the population expected to soon reach that of Laudium. The area is growing by the day with people from all over the country and even beyond, making it their new home, by erecting shacks on open spaces,as some of them look for work opportunities, to feed the hungry bellies of their families and themselves, whilst others turn to crime. The local council has either lost control or is not interested in stopping the influx of informal people coming into the area and making it their new home. This influx into Laudium has caused many residents to complain to the Ward Councillor, Naeem Patel, to take action against the increasing number of vagrants, who are illegally living in these open spaces and who are being accused of making the area, a slum.
However, according to the residents and the vagrants, some of those who accompanied the Councillor, broke the very same law that they profess to be holding up. The incident took place early last Saturday morning, just past midnight (Nov 5), when the Councillor, together with members of his team, the local police, members of the Metro Police, CPF members and members of Laudium Disaster Management (LDM), were doing an inspection in loco, at the various public places the vagrants were believed to be illegally living at, following complaints received.
However it is believed that when the vagrants, who were found sleeping by the team, at an open space on the corner of 19th Ave and Military Road, were awoken and asked to move away from the place by the team, the vagrants became violent and defiant. It is then when members of the LDM, together with others, allegedly threw away the belongings of the vagrants, including their mattresses. When these vagrants resisted, members of the LDM who apparently came with a fire engine, opened up the high-pressure fire hose pipes dousing the vagrants. The area where the vagrants were sleeping, is behind a house in Whiteblocks (situated on corner of 19th Ave, Primrose Str and Military Rd). A panel of the walling has been removed, giving the vagrants access to water and toilet facilities. At the time of the hosing incident, a couple were living in a tent erected in the yard and as such, the tent was also hit by the high-pressure hose.
Shireen Kok who lived in the tent with her husband, approached the Laudium Sun with her complaint, saying, “I have heard that you guys are not afraid to expose wrong done on the community, no matter who does it. I just hope my story will get all of us who were harmed, the justice we are seeking, as even the Laudium police who we went to, have refused to take down our complaint.
Shireen added, “It was around 12:30 am when my husband and I, who live in a little tent at the back of Aunty Rabia’s yard, all of a sudden heard shoutings for us to wake up. I was frightened so I did not go out, but my husband went out. I heard screaming from outside and
not long thereafter, our tent was being sprayed with water. The pressure of the water was very high and that caused the tent to start moving. I was afraid that the tent would collapse, so I quickly ran out. That is when of these guys wearing a dark blue overall, pointed a huge hose at me and started spraying the water on me. Due to the high pressure of the water, I immediately lost my balance and fell, injuring my knee and back. I realized later that this guy was from the Laudium Disaster Management, who came there with a fire truck. I can’t understand why, unless their motive was to come and cause problems. The people I saw outside were, the Councillor, Cpt Packree and other police members, these guys from the Disaster Management team and private security officials with other people. It is so unfair that in our own home town of Laudium, living here for so many years, we were treated worse than dogs. I ask this question: if you were in our situation and you were treated like this by our Councillor and the police, how would you feel? We are supposed to be safe and be protected by the police and other officials and leaders within our community. I wish someone can hear us.”
A homeless person, Benette Nkosi, who also sleeps at the back yard of Aunty Rabia’s home, told the Laudium Sun, “We have been sleeping in this yard for many years, with the kind permission of Aunty Rabia, who is the owner of the place. This aunty has always given us accommodation to sleep when we have no shelter. There are others who sleep just outside the back part of the yard, but the wall has been opened for them to use the water in the yard. On that early morning, just after midnight, I was sleeping with my blanket over my head, when I heard cars pulling up. When I lifted my head, I saw lights shining in the yard. Then I saw the police with other people in the yard, waking everyone up and calling them derogatory names. The next moment, the place was being hosed with water, but not by an ordinary hose pipe. This was a strong pressure fire hose pipe. This isn’t the first time it is happening to us. The first time was when we were staying under the
bridge near the old railway line. They came and burnt our blankets and clothing, even my ID was burnt. Now I’m still unable to collect my R350 grant ever since then. I plead that someone helps us because we cannot carry on living live like this. We don’t have a place to stay, we don’t have a fixed job or income and when a good person with a good heart gives us a place to live in her yard, they come and make our lives miserable.”
Patrik Nadamane, another homeless person who has been living in Laudium for some time now and presently sleeps outside the yard of Aunty Rabia, in the Council owned open space land, told the Laudium Sun, “When we went to the Laudium Police Station to report the harassment, trespassing and assault with a high-pressure fire hose, which hurt many of us, we were chased away.”
Rabia Khan the owner of the property, where the back portion inter-leads into the open municipal space, where some homeless people also sleep at night, told the Laudium Sun, “I don’t have a problem with these people staying in the back of my yard or those sleeping behind my property on the Military Road side, using my water. They do not have anywhere to go, they are homeless. At times if I have extra food, I give them, because they don’t trouble me. They actually protect me. These are human beings, they are God’s children. We even have a duty to feed a hungry dog. When I heard the big noise in my yard, just past midnight, I woke up with shock as I am old. It was very wrong what these guys did to these homeless people.”
Laudium Police Vispol Commander, Captain Packree said, “We were asked to accompany the Councillors and the CPF, who were doing an assessment as to how prevalent the issue of homelessness was in the area. Cllrs Patel and Dumasani, exco members of the CPF and members of the Disaster Management were also present. I deny using any vulgar or hurtful language, or evicting anyone. You can even ask the secretary of the CPF Vera and both Councillors.”
Councillor Naeem Patel said, “We received many complaints from residents to do something about the increase of vagrants or homeless people sleeping all over open places in Laudium. Thus, myself and Cllr Dumasani decided to check what was happening, so we organized with the local SAPS, the CPF and the Metro Police, to go around late at night to see for ourselves what was going on. We went to various places including the vacant portion of Council owned land, on the corner of 19th Ave and Military Road, where a number of homeless people live and sleep. At no stage was I vulgar or acted unlawfully with these people. I did not enter the yard of the house in Whiteblocks, where I am aware that a number of people are living.”
The Laudium Sun also spoke to Pritesh Bhana from the LDM said, “We were called out for a fire alert and then after finishing we saw the police and other people nearby, so we stopped. I cannot comment on us using the fire hose on the people or their belongings. You should contact our chairman, Ibrahim Dockrat.” Pritesh however refused to comment on where the fire was. Ibrahim Dockrat chairperson of the LDM said, ” Our members normally accompany the SAPS, TMPD, Councillors, CPF members on patrol and Security companies as a backup in the event of medical and fire emergencies. On that said night we were alerted to a fire on Military Rd which our members extinguished. Some water may have splashed onto neighbouring homes due to the high pressure from fire hoses. Our members deny entering the premises on the corner of 19th Ave and Military Rd and are not aware of any vulgarities that were allegedly exchanged between on-site personnel and community members.”
