MBABANE CITY COUNCIL DEMOLISHES MAN’S HOUSE

MBABANE – Allegedly on the instruction of the Municipal Council of Mbabane (MCM), security guards demolished Samkeliso Gama’s two houses at PTS.

This is reportedly the third time that Gama’s efforts have been reduced to dust, as he is allegedly building without the necessary documentation from the MCM. The home is situated at the top of the mountain, above the Eswatini Water Services Corporation (EWSC) tank at Msunduza. Gama alleged that the security guards assaulted him during the demolition.

While he did not produce the necessary documents, Gama claimed that he possesses the required documentation to build in the area. “The guards wanted me to react to get me arrested. They were carrying bush knives and hammers. I told them the municipality is in contact with my lawyer (name deliberately withheld),” Gama narrated.

He alleges that he has spent in excess of E33 000 on building materials and that he used manpower to transport materials to the top of the mountain. Gama added that the last demolition occurred in June last year, but after sorting out the necessary paperwork, he continued to build for his family.

“Right now, I don’t know where I will sleep with my girlfriend and toddler,” he lamented. MCM Information and Public Relations Officer Lucky Tsabedze stated that Gama had no building permit, which is required under the Building Act of 1968. Anyone intending to build must obtain a permit from the council.

Notice

Tsabedze revealed that Gama was given a contravention notice, which he did not comply with. “To build, one needs to apply for a temporary building permit in the upgrading areas. This is not the first demolition for the same person, as we demolished the first structure after serving him a contravention notice. Again, he did not comply and continued to build,” Tsabedze clarified. In recent years, the demolition of houses for people who constructed them without permits occurred in Mangwaneni in Mbabane. Such incidences resulted in violence and fatality.  

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