[PICS & VIDEO] Creche eviction clash: Mense burn tyres, block roads to protest closure
UNREST: Burning tyres barricade Gugs road
After the dramatic eviction of a 40-year-old Gugulethu preschool yesterday, classes will resume this morning.
Yesterday at around 4.30am, the sheriff of the court arrived at Uluntu Preschool and emptied the four classrooms.
When parents and children arrived at the crèche on NY 108 a few hours later, there was a small army of riot police armed with armour and shields waiting for them.
The children sat inside the cordoned-off area with their anxious teachers.
Principal Nombulelo Mzimkhulu says: “We have been operating from the premises since 1982 and we were told that the building has been sold to people in Durban and that we must move.
“We have been fighting this in court and when the court battle started, I didn’t have a lawyer. But now I have found a representative and we were supposed to meet in court in February.
“We were surprised when we found that we had been evicted before the date,” says Mzimkhulu.
Angry residents stood outside the educare centre and told the police that if they evicted the crèche, no one would be allowed to occupy the building.
When they saw a truck, which they thought was there to demolish the building, mense wysed the driver to leave and then started burning tyres and barricading the road.
Cops used stun grenades and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd while the standoff ended around lunch time.
“The councillor called the people from Durban and they agreed to let us keep operating and they will then have a meeting where they will discuss the way forward,” Mzimkhulu says.
“The people helped bring all the furniture back into the building.”
In a statement, 255 Gugulethu (Pty) Ltd, the company that bought the land, says they have made generous offers to the crèche.
“Our company attempted during the whole of 2019 to reach an agreement with Uluntu Crèche, which is situated on a property in Gugulethu which we bought to develop.
“The concept was to develop the centre, in concert with the community, shops surrounding anchor tenants.
“Eventually, in January 2020, we were left with no option other than to apply for eviction. The negotiations had got nowhere, and no utilities at all were being paid, let alone anything else.
“As set out in the affidavit before the court, we offered Uluntu Crèche a five-year lease agreement at a rental of R10 per month with an option for a further five years.”
The company says they even offered to upgrade the crèche: “Modern, new and safe for the children.
“We repeatedly negotiated during the course of 2020 and 2021 to incorporate the crèche as part of the development, or to contribute R500 000 to enable the crèche to set up nearby.
“Our company has literally bent over backwards, but without any success. Eventually, in October 2021, we obtained a final order for the eviction of the crèche.”