A case of fraud and trespassing has been opened against a collective of artists and activists who have taken occupation of a property in Camps Bay, says a Weekend Argus report.

The We See You collective moved into the Atlantic Seaboard mansion on Monday last week under the guise of a rental booking, and then announced their occupation as a protest against the lack of safe spaces for queer people, women and children in SA, as well as inequitable land ownership.

The property agent managing the rental mansion originally gave the group until Thursday to vacate the premises, and on Friday instituted legal action.

‘Following the refusal of a group of guests to vacate a property under our management in Camps Bay, we have instituted both legal and civil proceedings to achieve an eviction and recoup all costs incurred,’ said Gaby van Wyk, MD of Turnkey365.

‘We sympathise with their cause and support the right to protest within the confines of the law. We intend to fulfil our mandate and protect the legal rights of the homeowner. Equally, we intend to uphold the legal rights of our small business as well as those of our colleagues across the tourism industry as we struggle to recover from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.’

A SAPS spokesperson confirmed that a case had been opened at Camps Bay police station on Heritage Day.

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