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The City of Johannesburg must account for its lack of response to the eviction of residents in the Zandspruit and Honeydew areas this week.

During one of the coldest weeks to hit the province, residents were forcibly removed from their homes and forced to spend freezing nights on the streets.

Legal precedent suggests that the City of Johannesburg is responsible for the victims of these evictions, despite the fact that they took place on private property.

In the case of Blue Moonlight Properties vs Occupiers of Saratoga Avenue, people were evicted from privately owned land in the city. The court found that the city was in breach of its constitutional duty to provide adequate housing on a progressive basis and was required to financially compensate the victims until alternative accommodation was found.

The city must urgently indicate what alternatives it will provide to these evictees.

However, these evictions also speak to a greater housing crisis which requires a response beyond that of proposed new settlements.

The DA in Gauteng urges local and provincial housing authorities to consider a site and service plan in addition to current housing plans. This revised approach to human settlements is supported by the National Development Plan and involves upgrading of existing shacks and a more inclusive, societal approach to the growing crisis.