The DA has entered the fray in the legal battle over the eviction of more than 400 people unlawfully occupying the old, dilapidated Tshwane University of Technology residences to an open plot in Gezina in Pretoria, reports News24.

On 6 March, Judge John Holland-Muter of the Gauteng High Court (Pretoria) granted an eviction order against around 450 unlawful occupiers of the infamous Melgisedek buildings in the Tshwane CBD. But AfriForum approached the High Court for an interdict to stop the relocation.

On 19 March, Judge Mncedisi Khumalo struck the matter from the court roll with costs, citing a lack of urgency. Whil

e this paved the way for the forced relocation to take place after 20 March, Lawyers for Human Rights – representing the occupiers – threw a spanner in the works by petitioning the SCA for leave to appeal after the same was dismissed by the High Court.

The effect of this petition suspends the eviction order. However, the city has since brought an application under Section 18(3) of the Superior Courts Act, which, if successful, will allow them to carry out the eviction order pending the appeal.

The 18(3) application was meant to be argued yesterday; however, this has been pushed back to April as the DA has now applied to intervene. 

In his founding affidavit, Cilliers Brink, the leader of the DA in the capital city, argues that the alternative accommodation does not accord with the guidelines and standards of emergency accommodation as contemplated in the Emergency Housing Programme of the Housing Code.

Brink contends that the move would violate municipal by-laws and would be a breach of the occupiers’ rights to dignity, freedom, security of person, and access to sufficient water and sanitation.

The DA wants the occupiers to be relocated to safe and dignified accommodation.

Full News24 report