In an application against the City of Johannesburg, SAPS, JMPD and SANDF, heard on 24 July 2020, residents argued that the city did not have a court order when it evicted an estimated 300 families and demolished their shacks on 18 and 19 July, rendering them homeless during the health and economic crises caused by Covid-19.
“The Applicants at the draft of this application remain homeless and destitute, making them prone to elements of danger and most especially the Covid-19,” said Chauke in her affidavit to the court. “When the Applicants tried to understand what was going on, members of the [SAPS and JMPD] threatened to shoot and beat up those who would attempt to prevent them from doing their work,” she told the court.
A number of municipalities across the country have continued to evict residents during the pandemic, leading Sisulu to warn that evictions are prohibited under lockdown regulations.