A man who has spent his whole life as a resident of Silver Town in Fingo Village is on the brink of losing his home following an application by Makana Municipality to demolish it, claiming that it is situated on a heritage site.
A man who has spent his whole life as a resident of Silver Town in Fingo Village is on the brink of losing his home following an application by Makana Municipality to demolish it, claiming that it is situated on a heritage site.
Lindani Donyeli, 38, currently lives just behind Nathaniel Nyaluza Secondary School in his family home.
He says he has been there since 1979, when he was three.
Donyeli is unemployed and has five children aged 19, 18, 17, 16 and 2.
His family home is situated near the Egazini memorial battlefield in Fingo Village.
In a to-and-fro legal battle, the municipally sought an order from the Grahamstown Magistrate's Court to evict Donyeli from the house in 2008.
In court documents Donyeli said the Municipality said the land was classified as a heritage site.
He said he was not against leaving the property, but demanded fair compensation. The Municipality denied his request and initiated court proceedings to have him evicted.
However, the 38-year-old has opposed this application and the matter was subsequently set down for argument on 27 May 2014.
When Grocott's Mail visited the house this week, a sign on the door read, "Do not destroy. By court order. See attached."
Legal Resources Centre lawyer Cameron McConnachie said a court order had been obtained after officials began bulldozing the house, while the matter was still in court.
In court papers Donyeli claims that on 9 May 2014, the municipality unlawfully deprived him of possession of part of the property by demolishing part of it using a bulldozer, without giving him any notice of their intention to destroy the property.
The court has granted an interdict against any more destruction of the house, McConnachie said.
The case is expected to be heard in court on 27 May.
