'It’s impossible to give Cape refugees emergency shelter' - JP Smith

Refugees staying in the Central Methodist Church and surrounding areas were given a reprieve from an eviction threat. Picture Courtney Africa/African News Agency(ANA)

Refugees staying in the Central Methodist Church and surrounding areas were given a reprieve from an eviction threat. Picture Courtney Africa/African News Agency(ANA)

Published Dec 17, 2019

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Cape Town - Refugees staying in the Central Methodist Church and surrounding areas were given a reprieve from an eviction threat after Judge Kate Savage decided to postpone their eviction case to next month.

The case was already postponed on December 9, when the judge gave the involved parties a chance to meet and find a solution, which didn’t happen. The City of Cape Town, which brought the interdict to the high court on that date, wants an order to stop refugees breaking health and safety by-laws. This includes urinating and defecating on the street, washing clothes and cooking in the square. The City also maintains that the protesters represent a threat and intimidation to its officials and also to tourists, locals and business.

During Friday’s court appearance there was a disagreement between Home Affairs and the City about providing an emergency shelter for the refugees. Senior counsel for Home Affairs, advocate Seth Nthai, said that the department can’t conduct their role to verify refugees’ documentation in the circumstances and poor conditions they are living in at the moment in the church.

According to news website GroundUp, the Home Affairs advocate exposed results of a preliminary investigation conducted by the department that said there were about 500 people occupying the area, 100 of whom have expired asylum permits, 80 were undocumented and 68 claimed to have lost their documentation.

“The City’s advocate, Adiel Nacerodien, argued that the refugees don’t require emergency shelter since they have homes to go to. At the same time, he told the court that the negotiations Tuesday (December 10) are at a deadlock,” according to the website.

On Monday, Cape Town MMC for Safety and Security JP Smith said: “It’s impossible to give them an emergency shelter because there’s hundreds of people on a waiting list.

“Home Affairs have not done what they were supposed to do and led us to this situation.”

JP Balous, leader of the refugees’ protest and representative of the group in court,revealed that at the meeting last week the City had offered them a place to stay for five days. "then, where are we going to go?”

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