There are three issues that cause evictions in townships, which result in people being
left hurt, miserable, heartbroken, humiliated and abused. First, family problems: when
children fight over the family inheritance, after their parents pass away, or when a
crisis between the wife and her husband leads to divorce. The man sometimes becomes angry
and sells the house, ignoring the fact that children are involved: the buyer will pay the
sheriff to evict them. ---- Second, when a loan from the bank is granted to those working,
and they cannot pay it. After sometime, contract work comes to an end, or workers are
retrenched, and income becomes low. Payment to the bank starts to become a problem, and
the workers face arrears.
The bank then decides to take the house, and auction
it off to bidding agencies. They sell your house and
get police assistance to evict you: the police protect
the agent, the buyer, and the sheriff. And when they
evict you, they destroy your furniture and steal your
money. If you are not at home they still do this, and
then change the locks.
Third, the politicians: if a town councilor realizes that
the owner of a house has passed away, and that only
the children, or unemployed people live there, they
take the chance to illegally sell the house to those who
have money. Then they call the police to accompany
them and evict the poor people, knowing that they
will not get assistance from the police station, or have
money for a lawyer or advocate to defend them.
We anarchists must organize and educate the working
class community to build a strong society based on
correct principles. This will help build confidence in
people to have a politically independent mind, and to
make their own decisions, and ultimately to have the
ability to fight the government and business people:
the ruling class who dominate society.
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* Anarchist Newslette
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» (en) Southern Africa, Tokologo #1* Evictions And The Struggles In The Townships By DOROTHY MECER