A house in Pretoria West was allegedly set alight by foreign nationals illegally occupying it – this after they were evicted on Monday, as this video from Twitter user Yusuf Abramjee shows.
Building set on fire in Pretoria West after evictions. pic.twitter.com/2S62mkpvfg
— Yusuf Abramjee (@Abramjee) February 17, 2020
Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) spokesperson Superintendent Isaac Mahamba told News24 they were assisting the owners of the building with an eviction order in Luttig Street when the fire was started.
“We accompanied the service provider for possible evictions of people who occupied the house. Somehow they started a fire with the intention of burning the house down.”
Mahamba said they called the fire department to extinguish the fire to keep it from spreading to other buildings in the area.
“[The fire was extinguished] successfully and without any injuries being reported,” he added. The TMPD said no arrests have been made.
Tshwane Fire Department spokesperson Deputy Chief Charles Mabaso told News24 the cause of the fire had not yet been established.
“Upon arrival, a house with about seven to eight rooms was burning,” he said. “We managed to extinguish the fire, but it was almost completely destroyed. The cause is not clear, but an investigation has been launched,” Mabaso added.
Reprinted from News24 – 2020-02-18. Emphasis/links by SD Law.
If you need help with the eviction process
However difficult your situation, setting fire to a property won’t solve anything and will just create further problems. Simon Dippenaar & Associates, Inc. is a law firm in Cape Town, now operating in Gauteng and Durban, of specialised eviction attorneys, helping both landlords and tenants with the eviction process.
Contact one of our eviction lawyers on +27 (0) 86 099 5146 or info@sdlaw.co.za if you need help with an eviction matter.
Further reading:
- Mamelodi flat invaders defy court eviction order
- Evicted Durban residents say city had no court order
- Evicted families stuck in Paarl caravan park for a year
- Groundbreaking eviction order stops unlawful eviction with damages
