Mon séjour en Afrique du Sud (Cape Town)

The government has been provisionally interdicted from relocating any person from the North West town of Pomfret, which houses former 32 Battalion members and their families.

The interdict against the police, the South African National Defence Force and the Department of Public Works was handed this week in the Pretoria high court.

Judge Brian Southwood gave government until May 12 to state their side before deciding on whether to confirm the interdict or not.

About 6 000 Pomfret residents, with the help of Lawyers for Human Rights, turned to the court for help after government started their relocation to Mafikeng.

According to local school principal Domingos Sebastiao, government was trying to drive the people out of Pomfret.

The area was once a national military base and home to the 32 Battalion – made largely of Angolans.

The unit was relocated from Namibia after the country’s independence.

The Pomfret community was informed by the SANDF in 2005 that they would be relocated, and the town demolished.

The reason provided by the SANDF was that area was contaminated with asbestos.

The community denied that there had been any engagement with government on the asbestos issue.

Sebastiao said the relocation of the community would leave its members vulnerable to persecution and xenophobia, which they had already experienced in their dealings with local authorities.

The community stated that there was no longer government representation and no staff or medication at the local clinic.

The nearest hospital is in Vryburg, about 200km and a return taxi fare costs R110, which most members of the community cannot afford.

Sebastiao said government was totally disregarding the community’s rights, including the elderly and children.

He stated that the forced removal was unlawful and politically motivated.