Luzuko Pongoma

Fear has gripped Alexandra in the north of Johannesburg after a group of people gave “foreigners” until Sunday to vacate RDP houses.

The group, which is unknown by some of the community members, warned that if the people did not vacate the houses they would be “pushed like animals or aliens”.

But the MEC of local government and housing, Humphrey Mmemezi, yesterday warned the residents not to take the law into their own hands by evicting people.

Mmemezi said that the police had already been alerted about Alexandra and that they would monitor the situation.

A notice with a bold heading “Foreigners in RDP House” was circulated on Sunday afternoon by a group of people who were carrying a book with a list of names.

The notice further read: “You are notified to vacate these RDP houses within seven days because:

• You are not citizens of this country by birth or creed,

• You are violating our right to own our RDP houses.

• You are giving corruption on housing a big boost financially,

• You are crippling our economy by allowing cheap labour practices.

“The residents of Alexandra don’t want to revoke xenophobia, unless you give the cause to do so. We demand that you vacate at your own free will, without being pushed like animals or aliens.”

A resident who received the letter said that he took it to the police station, but was told that there was no one to open a case and should return the following day.

The resident, who asked not to be named, said that he was a South African and would not vacate the house.

Another resident who is a spaza shop owner said that the letter meant nothing for her.

She said that she was not going to miss church on Sunday because of the letter.

“I am looking forward to meeting these people because I want them to tell me who is the foreigner in my house and who compiled the list,” she said.

The shop owner said that she had been living in the house since 2006, after spending a more than a year in a waiting camp.

A resident who did not receive the letter said that he was worried about the manner in which the issue was conducted.

“There is a criminal element involved in the matter. You cannot go around handing out notices to people without even giving them a contact person.”

He said the people who were circulating the letters were known to the community but most of them did not live there.

Mmemezi said: “If anybody has evidence it must be brought forward. My office is always open. To threaten violence against innocent people is illegal.”

He said it was not the first time the residents of Alexandra had threatened to evict people.

“Before the elections I was there with Premier Nomvula Mokonyane and Minister Tokyo Sexwale and out of 100 complaints they gave us, only five warranted investigation,” he said

Mmemezi said that some people thought that by making these allegations they would jump the queue on the RDP lists.

luzukom@thenewage.co.za