Evicted and Forgotten: Butterworth Families Await Housing Promises for Over a Decade

The plight of more than 300 families in Butterworth, Eastern Cape, continues to deepen as they face an indefinite wait for the government-promised houses, over thirteen years after their eviction. In March 2011, these families were evicted from Bhungeni informal settlement by the Fingo Tribal Authority, with the assurance of being relocated to RDP houses by the Mnquma Local Municipality and the Eastern Cape Department of Human Settlements.

Currently residing in Eugene, a makeshift area prone to flooding, without electricity and proper sanitation, the evicted community survives under harsh conditions. The supposed temporary accommodations are deteriorating; broken walls, windows, and doors are patched up with zinc sheets, while some rely on illegal electrical connections, and others resort to wood fires for cooking.

Frustrated by the lack of action from the local municipality, the residents recently forced the cleaning of their pit toilets by threatening to abstain from voting – a rare instance of their grievances being momentarily addressed. The ominous addition of fifteen new pit latrines has further instilled a sense of permanence to their temporary settlement, against their hopes of receiving proper housing.

Despite the painful memories of their sudden eviction – not even allowed to save their belongings as bulldozers tore through their homes – the promises made to them remain unkept, with no tangible progress visible. The much-anticipated mall, which was the reason for their eviction, has not materialized, fueling despair among residents.

Facing high crime rates and a chronic lack of basic services, including insufficient water taps and appalling waste management, residents like Nonzwakazi Botomani voice their dire living conditions. The promise of new jobs with the planned mall construction brings cold comfort, with little confidence in expressed timelines given past disappointments.

GroundUp's 2017 report on the community's situation shows "nothing has changed," highlighting the residents' ongoing struggle. The complexity of the situation is accentuated by Sisa Matutu, previously a residents’ chairperson and now an ANC PR councillor, who no longer lives among the evicted community.

While Chief Zizi Ngcongolo of the Fingo Tribal Authority contends that residents were well-informed of the tribe's ownership and forthcoming claim to the land, this brings little consolation to those mired in limbo. Mnquma Local Municipality spokesperson Loyiso Mpalantshane's confirmation of the mall's impending construction does little to address the housing promises, falling under the Department of Human Settlements' purview – a department that remains unresponsive.

Captured within this report is a glimpse into the lives of individuals bound together by shared adversity – some resigned to a fate of poverty, seeking solace in companionship and alcohol as they confront the harsh daily realities of their environment.

The Butterworth families' sustained wait, marked by empty promises, symbolizes a broader spectrum of socio-economic challenges faced across the country, demanding accountability and action from South African authorities.