Carlo Petersen
“IT’S actually disgusting. They are throwing us out like dogs,” says Kevin Freel, whom the city has informed is to be evicted from his family home of almost half a century in Wynberg with his 78-year-old mother Edith, to make way for a new MyCiti bus route.
Freel, 48, said he was handed termination of lease notices last month and told to vacate by the end of January or be evicted by the city.
South Road Families Association chairman Mogamat Bester said: “The road used to be a border during apartheid, with coloureds staying on the one side and whites staying on the other.
“Coloureds were later forcibly removed and sent to live on the Cape Flats.
“It’s like history is repeating itself. We’re being thrown out without being given alternatives.”
But the city’s plan to remove 26 families from their homes and demolish the houses to build a MyCiTi bus route is being met with growing resistance.
The dual carriageway, which will be built through South Road between the M5 and Main Road and will pass underneath the southern suburbs railway line near Wittebome rail station, will leave more than 100 residents homeless.
A group of about 200 people gathered in Broad Road, Wynberg, at 8am yesterday after a heated public meeting with the city on Wednesday night.
The protesters joined more than 40 taxi drivers in a convoy down Main Road to the city centre, where they brought traffic to a standstill before parking their vehicles in Roeland Street outside Parliament.
Residents brandished posters which read “National funding for city evictions” and “BRT copy and pasted on apartheid road”, and were also heard chanting “Wynberg will burn”.
Taxi drivers expressed fear that the route would interfere with their livelihood.
Protesters handed over a memorandum to the city, highlighting grievances relating to plans to construct the Lansdowne/Wetton Road Corridor route.
Mayco member for transport Brett Herron said South Road was a proclaimed road scheme that has been in existence for 20 years.
“The 26 tenants who are currently residing in houses that are owned by the city were aware of the fact that these houses fall within a road scheme and that the city would demolish these properties.
“They were served with termination of lease notices four months in advance, informing them to vacate the properties by January 31.”
Constitutional law expert Professor Pierre de Vos said while tenants can be given termination of lease letters, evictions can take place only with a court order.
“The court must check if there has been public participation. It also needs to be established whether alternative accommodation has been provided.”
When questioned about alternative accommodation, Herron said it was always the city’s intention that the properties would be demolished for new development.
“These are not evictions and these are not indigent residents occupying subsidised housing.
“The tenants are meant to be paying market-related rentals and do not qualify for state housing assistance.”