There appears to be no end in sight for the people who have been living at Luyolo community hall in Gugulethu for almost four months after their shacks were demolished by law enforcement officers.
Chaos erupted earlier this year as the group of backyard dwellers had occupied a piece of vacant land just opposite the hall and embarked on violent protest.
The residents claimed that Gugulethu had been neglected and it seemed as if there were no development plans for it.
But in June their shacks were broken down and property confiscated. Phindile Nazo said they had been living at the hall ever since.
He said they had engaged with their ward councillor, Bongani Ngcombolo.
He said one of the reasons they had left their homes was because they needed a place of their own.
The 28-year-old unemployed Gugulethu resident said he had been sleeping in the living room at his home.
He said living conditions for the about 50 people at the hall were inhumane and embarrassing.
He feels officials from the government in different spheres were aware of their plight but had decided to turn a blind eye.
He said at one point they were informed that the land belonged to a certain businessman but later on it emerged that it was not his.
Mr Nazo said all they wanted was a place where they could erect their shacks to have a roof over their heads.
He said a number of the people were deep in debt as they had taken out loans to buy material to build the shacks. Some had borrowed money from loan sharks and were unable to repay them.
He said what hurt them the most was that their material had been taken and their belongings badly damaged.
“We just need a place where can put our shacks while we are waiting for the government to build us homes.
“The housing development in our communities is happening at a sluggish pace. We can’t live like dogs. Our homes are too small to accommodate us. This land has been vacant for almost 30 years and nothing has been done about it. We have nowhere to go hence we have opted to squat here in the hall.
“This place is also not conducive for people to live in,” he said. Another backyarder, Babalwa April, said they live with their children in the hall and it has no windows.
The 26-year-old said they could not live at the back of other people’s homes forever and needed to have their own place.
She said the provincial and national government have failed them and it seems as if there were no inroads made to attend to their pleas.
Wayne Dyason, spokesperson for City law enforcement, said they were aware of this matter.
He said there is an agreement between the people and the councillor to permit them to occupy the hall temporarily.
Ntomboxolo Makoba-Somdaka, spokesperson for MEC of Human Sthe ettlements, Bonginkosi Madikizela, said the department was not aware of the plight of this specific group of people which had invaded privately-owned land.
But she said the department was aware of various land invasions in the area and had been looking into, and negotiating with land owners to gain access to vacant land in the area. She said the department held various meetings with Gugulethu backyarders to inform them of processes and getting registered on the housing database in order to qualify for government assistance.