Some families from Alex informal settlement demand temporary accommodation after homes demolished by CoJ

JOHANNESBURG - Some families from an informal settlement in Alexandra, Johannesburg, are up in arms, calling for alternative accommodation after their homes were demolished by the city.

The municipality said it’s been embroiled in a long battle with residents occupying seven homes in the area for illegally erecting structures on top of power lines, water pipes and a sewage system.

ALSO READ: CoJ acknowledges it needs to address housing crisis in Alexandra

The demolitions were ordered by ward councillor Tefo Raphadu, who claims residents were warned before action was finally taken.

On Tuesday, the area was a site for sore eyes as demolitions were conducted on seven homes at Extension 7.

Heaps of rubble spilled onto the road, completely covering what was once a sidewalk.

Between the destroyed homes and the rubble, a deep line has now formed where a thick water pipe was once situated.

Residents created makeshift bridges, using their torn-down doors and burglar bars to be able to cross into their houses.

This, while trying to load up the little belongings they were able to salvage from the demolitions onto a moving truck.

One of the occupants, Nonsikelelo Ndlovu, said the ward councillor came unexpectedly earlier this week and started to tear down their homes.

"We have been living here for more than eight years. Fine, we are not fighting, but why did they leave us to continue living on top of the municipal servitude for all these years without telling us?"

She said now that she’s been robbed of her home and with nowhere else to go, the least the city could do is supply them with temporary accommodation.