City of Joburg & JMPD agree to compensate park dwellers over illegal evictions

The City of Joburg and the JMPD have agreed to compensate a group of “park dwellers” after illegally evicting them not once, but twice.

The first raid took place last August, when officials from the city and the police descended on the Alberts Farm Conservancy in Randburg, where the group lives, and kicked them out, without a court order.

The group subsequently turned to the courts and in November secured a final interdict against any further eviction.

Despite this, officials returned last month and conducted a second raid.

The case was due back in the Johannesburg High Court on Thursday, for arguments on a claim for constitutional damages of R5,000 each.

However, on Thursday morning, the court heard that the parties had come to an agreement.

The agreement was made an order of the court and declared that the city and the JMPD violated the previous interdict with last month’s raid.

The evictions and the removal of the community’s shelters and possessions have also been declared unlawful.

The city and the JMPD have been ordered to pay 33 residents R1,800 each for the loss of earning potential and the loss of personal property.

The minister of police and the provincial commissioner, who were also listed as respondents, are not, however, party to the agreement and the group is still pursuing its case against them.

-EWN

In other news – Trouble in paradise: Actress Natasha Thahane & Thembinkosi Lorch allegedly break up

One of our favourite Mzansi celebrity couples, Natasha Thahane, and her baby father Thembinkosi Lorch have allegedly broken up. It is rumored that Thembinkosi Lorch has deleted all of Natasha Thahane’s pictures on Instagram as well as unfollowed her.

The new parents are not new to making news surrounding their on-and-off relationship. Even in the beginning when they started dating, Learn More