Court order saves NHC tenants from evictions

The National Housing Corporation (NHC) has suspended the eviction exercise of its tenants at Keko Juu flats pending a case between the firm and the tenants.

NHC’s commissioned agent, Kimbembe Auction Mart Limited and Tribunal, had issued the tenants a 14 days eviction notice which was due on November 30 this year.

Speaking to The Guardian in a telephone interview yesterday, Director of Kimbembe Auction Mart Limited and Tribunal, Fransis Simbi said NHC suspended the exercise after receiving a court order.

“It is true that the 14-day notice was due on Sunday but we can’t go through with the exercise. We have been informed that the case will proceed on December 12, this year so we will have to meet up with NHC to see the way forward,” he said.

Last week, residents of Temeke called upon the NHC to respect the court order which barred it from evicting them.

A total of 64 households in the Keko Juu area in Temeke District were to be affected with the eviction.

Keko Juu local government chairman, Gaudensia Mfuko told journalists yesterday that the residents filed an application under a certificate of urgency to restrain the respondent (NHC), or its agents or anybody else from evicting the applicants (residents) from the leased premises on 22 April 2014.

She said while waiting for court’s proceedings, on 17 November they were issued with the eviction notice.

“This is unfair and is against human rights, we have been living here since 1970s, respectfully paying rents… but suddenly we are asked to leave… we have nowhere to go, the authorities should do something to rescue us” she said.

 “During his tenure, the former deputy minister for Land and Urban Settlement, George Chiligati had promised to consider us as long-term tenants when repossessing the houses and sell them to us,” lamented an elderly resident Rochusi Matipa (74).

For her part, Susan Omary, NHC head of communications department told The Guardian that the corporation had not received any complaint letter from the residents.

“I will check with my boss to see what’s going on but if they (tenants) have filed an application and were issued with a certificate of urgency then they should inform us so that we are also aware,” she said.