Cape Town - The South African National Civics Organisation (Sanco) in Khayelitsha is pushing back against banks financing home loans in the area that have subjected defaulting owners to constant evictions and prosecution.
Sanco held a press briefing on Tuesday to address the ongoing sale of occupied houses, which has displaced many families in the area despite a plea to the Khayelitsha Magistrate’s Court to put a stop to the evictions.
In a memorandum sent to the Khayelitsha court on March 16, Sanco called for an immediate moratorium on all evictions and auctions of houses in the area. Sanco also called for a boycott on convictions and harassment of homeowners failing to pay.
However, despite agreeing to a meeting set to take place next week, community leader and anti-eviction task team member Victor Mrhawu said the Khayelitsha Magistrate’s Court continued to issue eviction notices with more waiting to get them.
Sanco regional convener Lonwabo Peter said there had been an outcry from the people of Khayelitsha who were paying bonds on houses yet facing eviction by the Khayelitsha Magistrate’s Court in collaboration with the police.
“We won’t allow our people to be victimised by the banks. We feel like the Khayelitsha Magistrate’s Court, as an institution, is supposed to protect our people, but is instead victimising them. In Thembinkosi there was a case of a woman of more than 90 years old who was evicted by one of the buyers, with no alternative accommodation provided.
“These current owners who inherited the debt are for different reasons not able to continue payments and when such evictions are carried out we must be engaged as a community and intervene as in other cases these contracts had lapsed and some are still paying out the bonds,” he said.
Mrhawu said that from last year, around 15 families were evicted from Mandela Park, Govan Mbeki, Thembokwezi and Ilitha Park every month.
Sanco member Thoko Aba said families were evicted daily, with five who were evicted last week. She said some have defied eviction and have gone back to their houses, waiting for a trespassing notice.
“These banks put houses on auction without the knowledge of the occupiers, who can’t go to the auction to purchase their houses again cheaply.
“Some of the houses are auctioned for less than the amount the owner owes the bank, which shows how these banks are disregarding the black people’s plight,” she said.