Cape Town - Eviction court battles don’t usually come with happy endings, but in the case of farmworkers being moved from Olywenhout Farm, the ideal conclusion was reached in the Western Cape High Court on Wednesday.
The four families of farmworkers faced eviction from the property they lived on, but they managed to reach an agreement with the owner of the land, a property developer, which would see them move into their own homes.
They could remain where they are currently living until their new homes are built.
The agreement was made an order of the court on Wednesday.
Nosey Pieterse, for the families, said the farmworkers had been fighting their eviction for about four years.
“The current owner is a property developer, who wants to build houses on the farm, and therefore the families have to move.”
He said the court ordered that the families move once their new homes are ready. “It’s a great victory for the families because now they will own the houses they will be moved to and thanks to the owner for listening to us.”
The owner’s lawyer, Steph Grobler, said her client “inherited the property with the people living on it”.
She said her client never wanted to evict them, but wanted to sit down and talk to them because they have been living on the farm for so long. “The agreement was that they will be moved to new units with electricity and running water and will be owners.”
She said the new houses will be built by April. Marchallene van der Westhuizen, who has lived on the farm for 25 years, said even though she doesn’t work at the farm, she has always called it home. She said her grandparents worked on the farm for years.
“I’m happy that we are moving to proper houses and we will own them, change is always good.”