Times Of Swaziland: OVER 300  AGGRIEVED EVICTION VICTIMS AT MARCH

OVER 300  AGGRIEVED EVICTION VICTIMS AT MARCH
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BY MELISA MSWELI on 19/05/2019 08:37:00


MALKERNS  – “We eat from the bins as we do not have homes and cannot
practice farming.” That was how the victims of forced evictions described the
situation they were currently facing after being evicted from their places.
The over 300 aggrieved emaSwati, who were part of the forced evictions campaign,
share the same sentiments on how they were currently getting food for themselves
and their families after being evicted from lands they knew to be theirs.
What was even more hurting, they said, was that they were not getting support
from their community leaders, whom they said told them they should go to court.
Mhlatase Dlamini from Embetseni broke down in tears while she was explaining how
her home was knocked down and had to leave all her belongings to live on the
streets.
She stated that what was even sadder was that they were born and raised in the
places, only to be told now that they were in a privately owned land.
“Our houses were brought down and our belongings were taken and dumped. My
children are all over and eat from dustbins. Who did we offend?” asked
Dlamini.
FELL TO THE GROUND
Dlamini could not hold back her pain as she cried and fell to the ground.
Most of the speakers stated that their families and great grandparents’ graves
were in those places they were evicted from to which when they asked what would
happen to the graves, they were told to dig them and leave with them if they
could.
Another speaker, Gavin Khumalo, who said he was from Embetseni, but quickly
corrected himself to say he did not even know where he was from because he did
not have a home anymore.
He said the day he was evicted he was called from work to be told his house was
being demolished. He also stated that he was less than five years away from
retirement and it was his first time last year to be told that he was in a
privately owned land.
The affected people were from Dwaleni, Sigombeni, Gege, Madonsa, Nokwane and
Malkerns among others.
Dominating in number were residents of Sigombeni, whose representative
identified himself as Maswazi. He said they received a letter that their homes
were going to be demolished in March and since that did not happen on the said
date, they are always looking over their shoulders since they did not know when
the demolishers were going to come.