DA Mayor Leaves Families on the Street in the Western Cape

To: All media

From: Land Party Communications

Contact: landpartysa@gmail.com | https://www.landparty.org.za/contact | @LandPartySA | 067 627 6014

Date: 2019/04/09

Embargo: None

In February 2018 a land owner in Faure, Cape Town obtained a High Court order for the eviction of 12 families who had erected shacks on his property. The City of Cape Town had also been ordered to provide alternative accommodation for the families prior to the execution of the eviction order.

The land owner apparently had on several occasions requested the City to provide the alternative accommodation. Some eight months later the City provided make shift accommodation in the Macassar area at another informal settlement, after the land owner issued a warrant for the eviction. The families were moved by the City to the Macassar property but were speedily returned to the land owner’s property after hostile residents prevented them from taking occupation. The land that was earmarked for them was further not serviced nor properly prepared for habitation.

Yesterday the land owner yet again proceeded to have the families evicted. He called upon a private security firm and a huge contingent of red ants to demolish their shacks and to remove the families with their materials onto the pavement.

The families had apparently been supported by the EFF and had engaged legal aid lawyers to represent them. These lawyers abandoned them after the City brought them back to the landowner’s property.

The situation became volatile and the families, together with supporters, barricaded the main road creating traffic chaos in the area. At this point the SAPS public order unit also arrived. Maryam Salie, a senior Land Party member, alerted the Land Party to the incident. Land Party members responded swiftly. Lawyer and Land Party member Riaz Saloojee quickly summoned all parties together including the sheriff. He contacted the attorneys acting for the land owner. The attorneys advised that despite them having prodded the City for weeks to provide alternative accommodation for the families, the City did not respond. According to the attorneys they had apparently informed the City that they would proceed to evict today but the City couldn’t care less.

The Landers called upon the Mayor of Cape Town to intervene. A ward councillor promised, on the Mayor‘s instruction, to move the families to a piece of land suitable for them to erect their structures, clear the roads and resolve the issue to the satisfaction of all parties. This did not happen. Land Party members remained on the scene to provide food and supplies for the families that ended up sleeping outside in the cold. The families including, many children, regrettably had many of their possessions damaged and their food looted and continue to suffer as a result of a government that is incapable of providing dignified housing for its citizens.

The attorneys for the land owner were hugely impressed by the Land Party’s intervention and were prompted to google the Land Party. They complimented the Land Party on a very impressive manifesto and also expressed their dissatisfaction with the City who had clearly failed its citizens by not providing suitable accommodation for over a year. The City arguably is also in contempt of a High Court order for its failure.

Land Party is still on the scene. Follow this story for updates!