Zimbabweans evicted from 3 Berea flats in SA

Tenants of a flat in Berea who are mostly Zimbabweans were yesterday evicted from their lodgings after being accused to occupying the buildings illegally.

Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) said Abel Road and Tudhope Avenue in Berea yesterday was closed off to traffic due to evictions that took place.

It's understood the tenants living in a block of flats called The Ridge were occupying the building illegally.

The JMPD said a court order was obtained to clear three buildings in the Johannesburg CBD late on Monday evening.

Broken bed frames, torn couches and empty picture frames scattered among the glass and shredded clothes are all that remains outside The Ridge flats a day after mass evictions took place.

Tenants were given just over 12 hours to vacate the building by 10am on Tuesday morning.

Residents still cleaning up the street late on Tuesday night said they watched the tenants leave the building with anything they could carry.

It's understood more than 300 families were affected by the evictions, and they left the building without causing any problems.

The Johannesburg Central sheriff was unable to comment on circumstances surrounding the evictions but confirmed that they had been ordered to take place.