Several homeless people living on Buitengracht Street in Cape Town’s city centre have said they will not move into Safe Space accommodation provided by the City of Cape Town following a Western Cape High Court order granting their removal.Last week, the court ruled that approximately 200 occupiers living on seven pavements in tents and structures made of cloth and plastic around the CBD have until 30 July 2024, to vacate the area before the sheriff enforces the eviction order.
The order was granted under the Prevention of Illegal Eviction and Unlawful Occupation of Land Act.‘We can only care about the homeless when we see ourselves in them, we can only realise our own humanity if we commit to realising theirs, when we see that we are all a few bad decisions and some bad luck from life on the pavements.
Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis applauded the decision in a video statement on social media platform X.‘Seeking an eviction order was always our last resort, we extended our care interventions knowing that some would take them and some would not, we knew that when our interventions were not taken up, we would have to rely on on the courts for help so this court order is good news,’ he said.
However, residents of Buitengracht Street, one of the city’s main connecting roads with upmarket office buildings, restaurants and hotels, claim they have been abused by law enforcement for years and that the interdict is only intended to tailor the city’s image., Gary van Niekerk, who has been living on the streets since the age of ten, stated that the homeless are being treated like animals and that what is being done is not in their best interests and should be challenged in court.
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