COSATU disgusted by Sanral evictions

The Congress of South African Trade Unions is disgusted by the brutal and inhumane eviction of hundreds of residents of Lwandle, Strand, Cape Town, by police, on behalf of the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral).

Families lost not only their homes but most of their kitchen appliances, mattresses and food, as the shacks were demolished. And what is even worse they were offered no alternative accommodation, but thrown on to the streets in the middle of winter.

Sanral justify their ruthless action on the basis that it obtained a court order to evict the residents occupying private land earmarked for a special project along the N2 and that the residents were "illegal squatters".

That in no way excuses the inhumane eviction of these residents without any plan to provide alternative accommodation. As COSATU's Western Cape Province has said: "To treat people in this manner is entirely unacceptable as reported on by the media in respect of the conduct of the policing agencies. These are our people - our brothers and sisters - and they must be treated fairly and decently."

Sanral has already displayed its contempt for the people of Gauteng with its imposition of e-tolling, and now the evidence that it is misleading people with factually incorrect information about them. These evictions are further evidence of its arrogant disregard for the interests of the poor people of South Africa.

COSATU also condemns the silence of the DA controlled Western Cape Provincial Government and the Cape Town Municipality. The fact that they were not directly responsible for the evictions does not relieve them of the moral obligation to intervene to at least ensure that new accommodation and humanitarian assistance is made available for the victims.

Statement issued by Patrick Craven, COSATU national spokesperson, June 3 2014

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