In July 2020, the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department, at the behest of the City of Joburg under Mayor Geoff Makhubo, descended on Nana's Farm settlement residents and destroyed over 130 houses, leaving resident families stranded, devastated, and exposed. These families are now homeless.

THIS IS MORALLY CRIMINAL AND VIOLATES THE CITY AND JMPD'S POSITION AS SERVANTS OF OUR SOCIETY.

Some residents had spent years saving up to build their humble homes because of the City of Joburg's own failings to meet the housing needs of the people it exists to serve.

The City has now destroyed people's efforts to fend for themselves in a mess that the City is responsible for.

Mayor Geoff Makhubo's rhetoric about legal versus illegal land occupation is a pathetic excuse for the failure of his institution. His department is responsible for housing these people, and if his department met their obligations, these people would be housed in legal and dignified spaces with no need to build shacks.

He and his department must take up their qualms about illegal connections with themselves and central government - the inadequacy of electricity and other utilities is THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO FIX.

City Land does not belong to Makhubo's department. It belongs to THE PEOPLE who have entrusted his department with it.

We, the people of Johannesburg and South Africa more broadly, are calling for AN END TO THIS SENSELESS ABUSE OF POWER by Makhubo and the JMPD.

Our demands:

IMMEDIATE:

1. Cease evictions of informal settlements and destruction of housing with immediate effect.

2. Rebuild these houses according to their original proportions at the personal cost of the City of Joburg and the JMPD (Makhubo and the Chief of Police in particular).

3. Provide each family affected with AT LEAST R2500 compensation AND legal documentation bestowing ownership of their residence.

4. Install solar panels to mitigate effects on the grid.

MEDIUM TERM:

1. Establish a task force dedicated to the construction of dignified housing for these people, in consultation with them about their economic needs as they relate to their geographic residence.

2. With these residents' approval, relocate families into their desired homes.

We cannot stress highly enough that Makhubo and the JMPD are the employees of the people of Johannesburg. The state are servants of the people whose livelihoods they are destroying.

If the evictions continue, we shall call for the immediate resignation of Makhubo, the JMPD Chief, and all involved officers.