Cape Town - Public hearings into the eviction of illegal shack dwellers in Lwandle, Cape Town, will begin next month, the head of a ministerial inquiry said on Monday.
Advocate Denzil Potgieter, appointed by Human Settlements Minister Lindiwe Sisulu to chair the inquiry, announced the inquiry's mandate at a media briefing in Cape Town.
“The mandate of the inquiry includes to investigate all the circumstances under which the evictions took place... including the facts leading to the application for and obtaining of the court order on 24 January 2014 by Sanral (SA National Roads Agency Limited), the execution of the said court order by Sanral,” Potgieter said.
The role of the sheriff, the City of Cape Town, metro police, the SA Police Service, and all other government entities would also be investigated.
Some of the people affected would testify before the inquiry.
“The process for submissions together with any relevant documentation and records commenced on Monday 23rd June and the deadline was Friday, 27 June 2014,” said Potgieter.
“The actual hearings are expected to commence around the middle of July 2014 and the venue will be communicated at a later stage.”
The entities directly involved in the eviction would make representations during the first round of hearings. In a later round of hearings residents affected by the eviction would make oral submissions.
Potgieter and his team - Nomhle Dambuza, Mampe Ramotsamai, Butch Steyn, Annelize van Wyk, and Barnabas Xulu - were given until August 5 to conclude the inquiry.
Sisulu would be presented with the findings and recommendations.
On June 2 and 3, about 849 families were removed from land owned by Sanral. Shacks were demolished and set alight. - Sapa