By Everson Luhanga
Hundreds of angry people who were made homeless after their shacks were torn down in Glen Austin in Midrand caused major disruption to those travelling in the area around Rabie Ridge, Mayibuye and Ivory Park on Monday.
Protestors were seen carrying pangas, sjamboks and sticks as they chased motorists who were trying to find their way out of the troubled area.
Roads from Glen Austin leading to Midrand, Kempton Park, Johannesburg and Pretoria were blocked and littered with rocks, bricks, branches and burning tyres.
The SAPS, Johannesburg metro police, Gauteng traffic police, crime prevention wardens, and officials from the Gauteng human settlement department had their hands full trying to deal with the protesters.
The authorities destroyed thousands of shacks on Friday, Sunday and Monday morning, leaving countless people who had occupied the land exposed to the cold, wet weather.
JMPD spokesperson Xolani Fihla said the operational team demolished unoccupied and half-completed illegal structures, including those made of brick and mortar.
In response, angry residents caused havoc, preventing residents from going to work and children from going to school.
The residents even went to the Rabie Ridge taxi rank and prevented taxis from leaving or coming into the rank.
Schools were also affected because children were prevented from attending. A primary school learner was found roaming around the streets after she got lost when her path was blocked by the protestors.
The authorities started destroying thousands of shacks on the illegally occupied land on Friday. They returned on a wet and cold Sunday night and evicted more people from their shacks. Dozens of shacks were destroyed and people were told to vacate the land.
Fihla said police found out that over 5,000 shacks had been illegally erected in Glen Austin. “We will continue to carry out operations against land invasion to ensure the safety and well-being of all residents.
“We urge all residents to respect the law and refrain from erecting illegal structures,” he said.
When Scrolla.Africa arrived on the scene, a few defiant people were seen collecting their belongings from the wreckage left by the authorities, while motorists tried to find alternative routes to manoeuvre around the littered streets.
On Friday Scrolla.Africa reported that one of the “shack farmers” who had been collecting money from residents to pay lawyers to prevent the authorities from evicting them has fled the area. At a community meeting on Friday afternoon, he was nowhere to be found.
Pictured above: A blocked road in Midrand on Monday.
Image source: Everson Luhanga
