Government vehicles torched amid Springvalley demolitions

Violent clashes broke out between Emalahleni municipality law enforcement officers and the residents of Springvalley informal settlement in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

The Mpumalanga municipality’s law enforcement officers and the police reportedly arrived in the area unannounced and started demolishing dwellings.

During the clashes, two municipal officials were injured and two government vehicles were torched.

Municipal officials injure, govt vehicles torched

Residents said yesterday that since their parents settled in the area, there had been no evictions nor had houses been demolished.

Luleka Nxongo, a community leader and a local ward committee member, said the municipality started the demolitions three weeks ago but stopped after the confrontation on Wednesday.

“What angered the community is that the demolition happened without warning or notification.

“This month alone, demolitions occurred three times and nobody communicated with us about it. We just see people entering our homes and vandalising the structures.

“When we asked them to give us proof that they were given permission to destroy the structures, they produced old court orders with a 2022 stamp on them.

“They said they were only removing extra dwellings erected in the yards.

Removing extra Springvalley dwellings

“They said many residents had built extra rooms to rent out for business purposes, which is not allowed by the municipality.”

Nxongo said the municipality did not explain what the problem was with this. She said unemployment was rife and some families were surviving on the rent income.

She said others had added rooms because they had many family members.

“People started to move into the area in 1962 and families have grown so they are forced to extend the houses.

“Around 2012 some people were relocated to RDP houses and a second group was moved to the second batch of houses a few years ago,” said Nxongo.

Another resident, who asked not to be named, said: “I have extra three rooms in my yard and I rented them out, but I was not expecting the municipality to just demolish.

Residents experiences

“I am unemployed and the rent was my only income.”

Emalahleni municipality spokesperson Lebohang Mofokeng did not respond to questions. Mpumalanga police Colonel Donald Mdhluli confirmed the incident.