City officials and Metro Police clashed with squatters living close to the N7 Bridge on Vanguard Drive after officials began breaking down their homes on Thursday.
The bridge was damaged by a fire which also razed 70 shacks and claimed the lives of two men in October.
Laura Anthony, who lost her husband Isaac Gedezana in the fire, said: “Where are we going to sleep? How do you guys sleep at night?”
Anthony and other squatters clashed repeatedly with officials as their shacks were torn down.
Another squatter, John Anderson, said: “This is not right. They came on Christmas Eve and it was still raining that day. We thought they would feel sorry for us but they just broke the shacks down.”
Things got heated when Anthony was pulled to the ground defending her property and the situation threatened to boil over.
The N7 residents were given the option to move to Happy Valley, Delft and Langa but have refused because their present location is close to where they are employed and where their children go to school.
Many of the people were housed at a community hall in Factreton but a few left to return to the bridge.
Mayco member for housing Dan Plato said: “They still live in the community hall and we have not evicted them from the hall.
“It seems that the situation has become volatile in the hall, with families evicting other families and some have decided to move back to the bridge.”
Plato also said that there is no way that people will be allowed to move back because of the dangers associated with living under or close to bridges. Cape Times
The bridge was damaged by a fire which also razed 70 shacks and claimed the lives of two men in October.
Laura Anthony, who lost her husband Isaac Gedezana in the fire, said: “Where are we going to sleep? How do you guys sleep at night?”
Anthony and other squatters clashed repeatedly with officials as their shacks were torn down.
Another squatter, John Anderson, said: “This is not right. They came on Christmas Eve and it was still raining that day. We thought they would feel sorry for us but they just broke the shacks down.”
Things got heated when Anthony was pulled to the ground defending her property and the situation threatened to boil over.
The N7 residents were given the option to move to Happy Valley, Delft and Langa but have refused because their present location is close to where they are employed and where their children go to school.
Many of the people were housed at a community hall in Factreton but a few left to return to the bridge.
Mayco member for housing Dan Plato said: “They still live in the community hall and we have not evicted them from the hall.
“It seems that the situation has become volatile in the hall, with families evicting other families and some have decided to move back to the bridge.”
Plato also said that there is no way that people will be allowed to move back because of the dangers associated with living under or close to bridges. Cape Times
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