The ugly reality of eviction

| Daneel Knoetze and Masixole Feni

Whether legal or illegal, evicting people from their makeshift homes is an ugly, violent and brutal business. GroundUp photographer and journalist, Masixole Feni and Daneel Knoetze, were at the Marikana settlement, Philippi East, Cape Town, on a calm morning on 11 August 2014, and then the eviction teams arrived. By midday there was chaos, stones were thrown and the police were firing back with rubber bullets.


The land is cleared early in the morning. Photo by Masixole Feni.


Preparing the ground for shack erection. Photo by Masixole Feni.


A shackdweller that did not wish to give her name on a clear winter morning before the eviction squads arrived. Photo by Masixole Feni.


Before the eviction squad arrived, a mother who did not wish to be named. Photo by Masixole Feni.


Enjoying a laugh before the eviction squad arrived. Photo by Masixole Feni.


Cleaning around home on the morning the eviction squad arrived. Photo by Masixole Feni.


A woman and her baby watch as law enforcement arrive to evict the shackdwellers. Photo by Masixole Feni.


A boy watches as City law enforcement move in. Photo by Daneel Knoetze.


A woman is asked to step away from her home which has been marked for demolition. Photo by Masixole Feni.


A woman’s home is demolished. Photo by Masixole Feni.


As homes begin to be demolished, a woman despairs. Photo by Daneel Knoetze.


Precious building materials of the evicted are confiscated under armed guard. Photo by Daneel Knoetze.

For the story read the article Cops beat and humiliate evicted shackdwellers in Philippi East.

TOPICS:  Housing

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