WHEN a group of residents recently grabbed land in Tsunami, the occupants of formal homes nearby knew trouble was coming.
The people of the kasi in Atteridgeville, Tshwane, begged their new neighbours not to make illegal electricity connections and the squatters agreed.
But three months later, they found the squatters had lied. On Tuesday, gatvol residents found out some people had allowed squatters to connect electricity for a fee. This was after their electricity kept tripping.
They went from home to home searching for illegal connections and disconnected them.
However, this angered the squatters, who attacked the homes of those who disconnected their power. The fighting got intense on Wednesday when squatters barricaded the streets with rocks.
Kamogelo Mamphaka (36) said a shack he erected in the squatter camp was taken down because he didn’t agree with stealing electricity.
Squatter Melvin Mokgotsi said those in formal homes were being unfair as the squatters had paid for the electricity they connected from residents in the area.
Councillor Joyce Ngobeni said calm had been restored to the kasi and the squatters had promised her they wouldn’t make any more illegal connections.
