Local pastors have challenged a 24-hour notice the Steve Tshwete municipality issued to evict occupants of illegal church structures in Rockdale, east of Middelburg.
This comes after the municipality had embarked on a drive through its Law Enforcement Officers to evict and demolish illegally erected structures, including churches, within its boundaries. Pastor Jacob Mkhwanazi from Maranatha Revival Church told the paper the section 6 notices served on 11 January gives affected churches 24 hours to demolish or be assisted to do so.
“It does not make sense, how can the municipality expect us to relocate and demolish in 24 hours without providing an alternative land,” Mkhwanazi said. In a memorandum of grievances submitted to Steve Tshwete municipality on Wednesday, the pastors maintained it is impossible to comply with the notice.
“The churches with the number of people it serves in the community cannot relocate in a space of 24 hours. The churches being a community centre cannot be evicted void of valid and clear reasons from the municipality. The churches cannot be relocated within 24 hours without an attempt to resolve the matter since it never poses any threat to any individual rather it adds value,” said the memorandum.
The pastors also demanded the municipality to suspend evictions and demolitions of churches and to provide alternative land. Municipal spokesperson, Prudence Magutle, said the municipality was not against churches and they are going ahead with the campaign. “We are enforcing municipal by-laws whereby we are evicting and demolishing all illegally erected structures, not only churches,” Magutle said. Magutle, justifying the 24-hour notice, said, “This is because if we leave it for too long, the illegal structures will mushroom.”
