Gauteng High Court criticizes City of Ekurhuleni for 'apartheid-like' evictions at N12 informal settlement
via The Citizen3 min read
The City of Ekurhuleni faced strong criticism from the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg for demolishing homes at the Chief Albert Luthuli informal settlement, also known as the N12 settlement. Residents, supported by the South African Human Rights Commission, initiated legal action after their homes were destroyed in May. The court granted an urgent interdict on June 12, 2026, preventing further demolitions by the City of Ekurhuleni, its executive mayor, city manager, the minister of police, and the minister of defence. The court also ordered the municipality to provide temporary accommodation for the displaced, with construction to begin by June 17 and be completed by June 30. A progress report is due by July 15. Judge Stuart Wilson's judgment on June 14 highlighted that the N12 settlement was established after unlawful evictions in 2011 from Bapsfontein, where the Constitutional Court had ruled against the City of Ekurhuleni. Wilson noted that permanent housing for these residents never materialized over 15 years. The recent demolitions, which displaced approximately 570 people and their families, were allegedly conducted without a court order and questioned by the court regarding their justification, despite claims of targeting illegal mining. The court heard accounts from affected residents, including Jane Mmabatho and Ceroline Mphuthi, who lost their homes. Judge Wilson suggested the municipality might be in contempt of the Constitutional Court's earlier order and rema
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