Belinda Manakaza is accused of evicting people from their homes after claiming she owns the land they live on in Mthatha and Mbashe Street in Mfuleni. She called the Anti-Land Invasion Unit to have the people’s houses emptied after issuing an hour’s notice.
Two churches were also built on the land. Residents say that the Anti-Land Invasion Unit did not give them time to collect their belongings but instead quickly demolished homes. Some claim that their homes were even wrecked without their knowledge. Manakaza told the angry residents that she bought the land but refused to show them proof of purchase when they asked to see it.
108 Ward councillor Mr Honono said that the land was reserved to build a park for children to play in and added that he was unaware if the land had been sold. Manakaza claimed that the police gave her the go-ahead to build her crèche and she emphasised that the police said she could stay as long as she needed to. She refused to comment further.
Mayoral committee member for Human Settlement Thandeka Gqada said that the City of Cape Town is required to get a court order to evict someone once the property is occupied, but can remove partially built structures as allowed in relevant legislation.
In the early hours of Tuesday morning, the residents were woken by a blaze coming from the crèche but no-one was inside. Manakaza’s brother, who had assumed the role of security guard, was nowhere to be seen during the conflagration. Where he was remains a mystery.
The Little Children Suffer
Crèche torched after land claim dispute.
By Andiswa Meke
“The occupants started to burn it on Monday with the children still inside, but we managed to put that fire out. It just burnt a corner of the shack,” said Manakaza after watching the crèche burn to ashes. Manakaza said Mfuleni residents were ‘jealous’ because her crèche was not removed, but she was the one telling the Anti-Land Invasion Unit which houses to demolish. It was the second time she had people’s homes demolished. Initially, community members held a meeting that Manakaza was invited to but did not attend and decided that their houses should be re-built.
“She said it was unsafe for her as she is constantly in fear of her life,” explained her close friend Mr Qhinebe, a former member of South African National Civic Organisation.
An angry local resident responded: “Belinda is not as innocent as she pretends to be. She is showing no remorse for what she has done to the community. She is disrespectful and selfish.”
Manakaza claims to have occupied the land since 2005, but an old member from the Weslem Methodist Church Mrs Dyantyi disagreed: “Belinda started her crèche on our shack and she did not even pay rent during the time she used the church. I find it ungrateful to have the church torn down. That is people’s hard-earned money.” She added that a church is a very special place and must be treated with respect.
Even though no-one has been arrested for burning the crèche down, the community members are convinced that they cannot live with Manakaza and have started attending meetings aimed at having her legally evicted… adding (maybe ominously) that they are doing this for her own safety too.