Two die, several injured as land dispute at Diepkloof Hostel descends into chaos

A land dispute at Soweto’s Diepkloof Hostel turned chaotic on Monday, leaving two people dead — both run over by vehicles — and several others injured.

Looters descended on two trucks — one was set on fire, and the driver of the other lost control and drove into two people, killing a recycler and badly injuring a woman. Protesters blockaded sections of the N12 and N1 highways and motorists had to find alternative routes.

Diepkloof Hostel induna Dumisani Mncube said the issue at the centre of the protests was the alleged sale of hostel land to a private owner.

“There is a puzzle here. The puzzle is that there is land which has been sold, and there is a person who says they own the land. This has stalled the development which was under way at the hostel,” said Mncube.

Residents had been moved from the old hostel buildings so the refurbishment could begin. However, this stalled in September last year when a mysterious buyer came into the picture.

Johannesburg’s Mayoral Committee Member (MMC) for human settlements, Mlungisi Mabaso, confirmed to Daily Maverick that part of the hostel had been sold to a private buyer, but that this was illegal and he would seek the arrest of those responsible. He said the hostel was partly privately owned and partly owned by the city.

“I have refused to meet with the private owners because I do not want to legitimise the transaction. This never went through council. There needs to be an investigation, and all the responsible officials will be arrested,” said Mabaso.

“I am failing to understand why the land was transferred in the first place. You cannot transfer a hostel to a private company when there are people living there. We cannot allow such transactions to happen in Johannesburg.”

Induna Mncube said, “When Mabaso told us, we thought that this was a puzzle because all along it has been quiet, no one staked ownership of the hostel land. But now that there is work going on, somebody shows up.”

He said the prospective buyer said he owned the hostel, which led residents to fear they could be evicted.

Public violence

The South African Police Service (SAPS) said they had opened a case of public violence after community members looted two trucks and set one of them on fire.

SAPS spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Mavela Masondo confirmed that a protester died after being hit by a car on a nearby freeway.

“That person was taken to hospital. We received a report that he was certified dead on arrival at the hospital. The second incident, I have just spoken to the driver.

“So, what he is saying is that he saw a crowd of people and he was trying to evade them, and found himself in the middle of the hostel. As he was trying to get out of the hostel, he ran over the two people … a male and a female. The female was injured and taken to hospital. Unfortunately, the man died,” said Masondo.

“For now, we have opened a case of public violence.”

Distraught families

The man who died when he was run over by a truck was Khethokwakhe Ndawonde, a 59-year-old father of four from KwaZulu-Natal.

His brother Bhungu Ndawonde said Khethokwakhe had worked for a construction company in Kibler Park for about a decade before he lost his job and became a recycler to earn an income.

“He has been staying at the hostel for many years because I also found him here when I first came [to Johannesburg],” said Ndawonde.

Another of Khethokwakhe Ndawonde’s brothers, Mfanafuthi Nkabinde, said, “We are greatly disturbed by this incident. We are also very angry because he was not part of the strike. He was going about his recycling work.”

Diepkloof residents stand near the body of Khethokwakhe Ndawonde on Monday. (Photo: Bheki Simelane)

The father of Surprise Zungu, the woman who survived after being run over by a truck, said he was in pain after seeing his daughter at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital.

The man, who wanted only his surname, Khumalo, to be used, said: “She was run over outside her residence. A truck suddenly showed up, and when she tried to evade it she slipped and fell. The truck ran over her and pulled her underneath. She sustained serious injuries to her head, and her leg will never work. She will never have the other leg again.

“We are very heartbroken. She is still young. She is conscious, but she is not talking. She has the oxygen pipes in her mouth,” said Khumalo.

Shack dweller

There is a block of shacks at the hostel, with only two toilets for the use of scores of residents, children and adults.

Asanda Nxumalo has been living in one of the shacks since 2011.

“I fell sick, and the doctor said I had an infection. She recommended some chemicals to use after using the toilets,” she said. “My children were not born at the time [I moved here]. Now my eldest child is seven years old and we are still living in these shacks.”

Nxumalo said the person who claimed to have bought the land must explain to residents what the deal was.

“When the Red Ants come and bulldoze us, where will we go?’’ she asked.

Nxumalo showed Daily Maverick her room. It is small and affords the family no privacy.

“I partitioned this small shack with a curtain, and when my child wants to bath, I tell him to go to the other side of the curtain. I cannot even play with my husband because the shacks are so close to one another, you can clearly hear what is being said in the neighbouring shacks,” said Nxumalo.

Speaking to Daily Maverick at the hostel on Monday, Ward 26 Councillor Sthembiso Mashinini said, “I hear some people saying that this is a delivery protest. It’s not. They are protesting about the land that has allegedly been transferred to some private company.

“That land is where the city was building, so it is hindering the building process. That is the crisis that we are facing currently. It’s unfortunate that this led to deaths and injuries. I cannot confirm that the transfer has indeed been concluded.”

Angry residents said that they had been moved from the hostel into small shacks ahead of construction at the hostel. DM