Khoi-San evicted from Union Buildings

ZELDA VENTER

AFTER regarding the Union Buildings as their home since 2018, the Khoi-San community who had been camping there since then, have finally been evicted on Monday.

The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure confirmed that the eviction order granted by the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria on December 11, was enforced by law enforcement officials on Monday morning.

Spokesperson for the department, Lennox Mabaso, said it should be noted that no appeal or opposition has been received against this court order by any interested parties.

“While the department expresses its sympathy with the serious grievances of the Khoi-San community, no single person has the right to claim or occupy public space intended to be used and enjoyed by all South Africans.”

Mabaso said the department worked and consulted with all stakeholders, including other government departments and the City of Tshwane, before the order was enforced to assist all individuals who were willing to return home.

But some are set on returning, as Ruben Rustoff and a member of the community who identified himself as Vhillem said in no uncertain terms.

Asked where they will now go, the pair said they have no idea, “but one thing is sure, they will soon be back”.

Visibly upset with the group of police officers who kept a watchful eye as their belongings were being packed on the back of a waiting vehicle, the pair said they had no idea they were being evicted today (Monday).

Rustoff explained that the first police officers arrived at the Union Buildings around 5am and surprised them. “They never told us today is the day that we will be evicted. They just came in and started to dismantle our structures.”

According to Rustoff, the SAPS were very rude and they simply rounded up their belongings. He said they have no idea where the goat is which they had and whether the animal is still alive.

According to him, several of their live chickens were also missing. Vhillem, meanwhile, said they were surprised by the early morning raid and they did not even have time to eat.

He accused the SAPS of destroying their vegetable garden and some of their belongings.

While they called President Cyril Ramaphosa a coward for allowing this to happen to them, they vowed to tell USA President Donald Trump about the treatment they are receiving from the Government.

They said their leader King Khoisan, who has been discharged from hospital after he was in a car accident last month in which his wife died, was not there on Monday when the eviction took place. “They knew he was not here and that is why they did it today,” Rustoff said.

But the community was due to be evicted on January 11 already in terms of the eviction order. They were given a lifeline up to now due to the king’s accident, in which his wife - Queen Khoisan SA - died. The department said they also waited some time to obtain the original court order.

King Khoisan SA, in responding to the eviction order last month, said they did not know what would happen after their eviction.

“But we are saying we will still be here until the government starts engaging with us on the issues why we are here in the first place. We have been here since November 30, 2018.”

He said the group’s only engagement had been with the late Minister in the Presidency Jackson Mthembu in 2019.

“We think that Khoisan people have been silent for quite a long time. We know that the Khoisan people are the first people of the land. So, it means we are rightfully the owners of the land,” he said.

zelda.venter@inl.co.za

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