Farm tenants told to leave

Cape Town-150816- The community of Vaaldraai in Stellenbosch, along with members of COSATU,gathered in a meeting to dicuss the communities uncertain future, after some of the residents had received eviction notices. Theresa van Wyk [A concerned resident]. Reporter: Yolisa, Photo: Ross Jansen

Cape Town-150816- The community of Vaaldraai in Stellenbosch, along with members of COSATU,gathered in a meeting to dicuss the communities uncertain future, after some of the residents had received eviction notices. Theresa van Wyk [A concerned resident]. Reporter: Yolisa, Photo: Ross Jansen

Published Aug 18, 2015

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Cape Town - While the stress of her daughter’s brain cancer weighs on a Vaaldraai mother, she could also soon find herself without a roof over her head.

Theresa van Wyk’s 20-year-old daughter Thelma has a brain tumour and she has no idea where they will go if evicted.

Van Wyk was among 50 residents of Vaaldraai in Elsenberg, just outside Stellenbosch, who received letters from the provincial department of Public Works notifying them they would have to vacate their homes before the end of the month.

“I live in a Wendy house behind my mother’s house and we received a letter that the wendy would be bulldozed by the end of this month. They also want my mother out of the house; I refuse to go anywhere.”

However, the provincial government claims the houses were being occupied illegally.

In a joint statement, the department of agriculture and the department of transport and public works said the houses were initially allocated for “work facility housing” in terms of a resolution of the PSCBC (Public Service Co-ordinating BargainingCouncil).

“This is housing required for employees to render a service after hours, weekends and public holidays. The department of Agriculture provides households with Work Facility Housing. Of these households, 48 households are part of the current matter, and remain in unlawful occupation of the houses on these respective farms.

“No decision has yet been taken with regard to these unlawful occupiers.”

Van Wyk said her parents had worked for the department of Agriculture and she worked there “as a casual”.

Her father had passed on and her mother, who is long retired, still lives in the house.

“Why, after 29 years of being here, must my mother be evicted? Where will she go? She is old and has nowhere to go. I am so disappointed in all of this.”

Marentia Williams told the Cape Argus she, too, feared being evicted if her husband stopped working for the department of Agriculture.

“Three months after my neighbour passed away, his family received a letter of eviction. But my husband still works there; if he doesn’t, what will happen to me and my kids?”

She added that a 57-year-old woman also received a letter, despite having worked for the department for 25 years.

“She doesn’t have a deed for the house and it’s not in her name. Her husband passed away four years ago.”

While residents presented similar letters to the Cape Argus that “requested them to vacate on or before August 31”, Transport and Public Works spokesman Siphesihle Dube said it should be noted that there is a difference between a “request that someone should leave and a court-ordered eviction notice”.

The “identical letter” given to residents continues: “Should you fail to vacate the house, the matter will be handed over to the Office of the State Attorney and you will be liable for the payment of all legal costs.”

The joint statement issued by the two departments said that “29 of these unlawful occupants were dismissed from or left the state’s employ or were previously living with a lawful occupier who themselves, no longer live in the house”.

“These are now private occupants who are effectively preventing the department of Agriculture from allocating these houses to state employees who require work facility housing on the farm concerned.

“In 2014, the department of Transport and Public Works (DTPW) issued letters to each occupant of houses on the farms concerned, requesting them to complete a ‘Survey of Occupants of Houses’ document, as well as to furnish the department with copies of personal documentation.”

Letters were also issued informing all occupants, including the 48 unlawful occupants, of the market-related rental that was due, with subsequent letters informing them of updated market-related rentals.

Residents told the Cape Argus that the relevant departments were due to address concerns that had been raised in a public meeting.

On Sunday, Cosatu’s Western Cape secretary, Tony Ehrenreich visited the community to reassure them that the trade union “would stand behind them”.

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