By Thapelo Molefe
Almost 100 families in Ward 31, East London, have been left homeless after the large-scale demolition of brick houses and informal structures in eBhongweni and surrounding areas this week, an operation now under urgent scrutiny by the East London High Court.
More than 30 brick homes and over 50 shacks were reduced to rubble in less than 48 hours, with residents watching as years of savings, possessions and memories were destroyed.
Families, including children, elderly people and the unemployed, were left sleeping outside with no alternative accommodation in place.
The humanitarian crisis was further compounded on Tuesday when demolitions in the nearby Bompini informal settlement, also on land linked to the broader Agricultural Research Council (ARC) eviction process, were abruptly halted after allegations that the sheriff had been using the wrong court order.
Residents said they had laid criminal complaints with police, with some accusing officials of acting unlawfully while destroying dozens of homes.
Families spent the afternoon sifting through rubble after two consecutive days of demolitions, many saying they had received no warning and had no idea where they would sleep.
One elderly woman, who moved from Komani two years ago to be closer to work in East London, said she had lost everything.
She told reporters she purchased a piece of land from a community leader and built her house from scratch.
“I am living with my child who is not taking this well. She collapsed and was rushed to hospital,” she said.
Provincial police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Siphokazi Mawisa confirmed that residents have opened criminal complaints.
“A case of malicious damage to property has been opened at East London SAPS. An investigation is under way,” Mawisa said.
The demolitions stem from a court order obtained by the ARC, which says illegal occupation has been spreading across its Umthiza Research Farm since 2024.
“The Sheriff, East London and the South African Police Services are currently carrying out the eviction process,” ARC spokesperson Joy Peter said, noting that unlawful occupants were given until February to vacate but continued “turning temporary structures into permanent houses.”
However, the Human Settlements and local governance fallout widened dramatically when the East London High Court questioned why the eviction proceeded without emergency accommodation for affected households, a constitutional requirement under the Prevention of Illegal Eviction Act.
The court has now summoned the Buffalo City municipal manager to appear on Thursday afternoon to explain the municipality’s role and why no safety net was provided.
The matter will return to court on Friday.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Eastern Cape, which intervened on site and says it halted further demolitions pending the court hearing, has accused authorities of allowing “inhumane and unlawful” actions that have plunged long-standing residents into sudden homelessness.
“Families were left destitute after their homes were destroyed without the provision of any form of alternative accommodation,” the party said.
It added that some homes had existed “for decades” before being demolished, and that many residents insist they were not issued proper notice.
EFF provincial chairperson Zilindile Vena said the violence of displacement has left communities traumatised.
“Homes belonging to long-standing residents were reduced to rubble, with families left stranded on the roadside and forced to watch years of hard work and belongings being destroyed,” Vena said.
The party also alleges that sheriff officials and SAPS officers on the scene showed “hostility and intimidation,” despite another urgent interdict being scheduled for hearing on Wednesday afternoon.
“Our intervention forced an immediate halt to all further demolitions,” the EFF said.
Buffalo City Metro has publicly distanced itself from the operation, saying it neither authorised nor participated in the demolitions.
“BCMM wishes to clarify that it is not involved in the operation,” the municipality said.
It insisted the land belongs to the ARC and any action taken is “being carried out by the legal landowner or parties acting on its instruction.”
It is at this point that political accusations have intensified.
Some residents allege that the Democratic Alliance (DA) is behind the demolitions because the land falls under the Department of Agriculture, led by a DA minister, and managed by the ARC.
These claims escalated on Thursday when Buffalo City Metro issued and later deleted a statement saying it had attempted to engage the Minister of Agriculture but failed to reach an agreement.
Asked to respond, Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen rejected the claims outright.
He said the allegations were “completely false and defamatory.”
“The land in question belongs to the ARC and has nothing to do with the DA,” he said.
“The executive mayor contacted me for the first time yesterday [Wednesday] morning, and I immediately intervened to assist.”
But the EFF argues that whether or not the municipality initiated the operation, its failure to intervene or provide emergency shelter is unconstitutional.
“No eviction or demolition can ever be considered lawful when it renders vulnerable families homeless,” the party said.
The demolitions have exposed a governance vacuum, with residents caught between national landowners, local authorities and court processes that have collapsed into a humanitarian crisis.
The EFF is demanding immediate temporary shelters, water, sanitation and security for affected families, along with full transparency on who authorised the demolition process and why no relocation plan was implemented.
As displaced families remain on the roadside and the municipality prepares to account before the court, the legal, social and political consequences of the mass eviction continue to unfold, with nearly 100 households still unsure where they will sleep next.
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