Cape Flats eviction case heads to court
Hundreds of people living on land earmarked for the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) are heading to court later this month to fight their eviction.
There are about 110 informal structures and Wendy houses at the Cathkin Village informal settlement in Heideveld.
It is home to hundreds of backyarders who occupied the vacant land in 2018 due to the lack of affordable housing options in the community.
WCED spokesperson Kerry Mauchline told GroundUp that the land was allocated to the department but it is under the custodianship of the Department of Infrastructure.
‘The land is illegally invaded. Court action has been initiated to remove the illegal occupants so that the land can be used for education. An eviction order was issued against the illegal occupants. In terms of the eviction order, the City of Cape Town must find alternative accommodation for the occupants,’ said Mauchline.
Junaid Jumat, the lawyer representing the Cathkin occupants, said an eviction order was granted just before Covid lockdown, ‘and there were dates for when the eviction should’ve taken place, but those dates have since lapsed’.
The matter is expected to be heard in court on 24 October 2023.
Article disclaimer: While we have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of this article, it is not intended to provide final legal advice as facts and situations will differ from case to case, and therefore specific legal advice should be sought with a lawyer.
