Cape Town – A group of backyard dwellers and homeless people evicted from Arcadia Place in Observatory turned to the Western Cape High Court for an interdict to stop the evictions yesterday.
There had been no decision on the matter by deadline, and the group of about 60 feared they would sleep along the Main Road in Observatory for a second night.
They were evicted on Wednesday, leading to a tense stand-off between them and authorities. Police used
rubber bullets to disperse the protesting crowd.
Police spokesperson Andrè Traut said: “SAPS members were deployed to maintain law and order during this process. (Yesterday) morning the situation was monitored by police as the evicted people gathered in
front of the building.”
The residents were ordered to vacate the building by the NPO Cape Peninsula Organisation for the Aged (CPOA) earlier this year.
"The group had taken occupancy of the building after CPOA vacated their premises to make way for a new old-age home to be built.
The organisation’s spokesperson, Sandi Gelderbloem, said a court order issued by the high court for the evictions had been served.
Gelderbloem said the land was subdivided between a private developer and the CPOA.
“Half the site has been sold to a developer for an extension of the existing Pick n Pay; above this extension, apartments will be built that are also intended for social housing.
“On the remaining part of the land, CPOA will rebuild Arcadia in order to accommodate the previous residents and to provide welfare retirement to additional needy aged persons,” said Gelderbloem.
One of the evictees, who did not want to be named, said she had moved into the Arcadia Home in August.
“I have been on a housing waiting list since 1994 and moved into Arcadia Place with my two children because we don’t have any place to go. We were living in my mother’s place in Langa but could no longer be accommodated there,” said the resident.
Social Development Department spokesperson Joshua Chigome said they had no jurisdiction over the eviction as the building belonged to the CPOA.
“CPOA vacated their old-age home in Observatory in February. They are going to demolish the building and rebuild a brand-new home with space for 250 older people. The structure of the home is not safe and a fire risk and that was one of the main reasons why they are going to demolish it.
“The building, being vacant, was then occupied by about 200 homeless people and backyard dwellers who are on the housing waiting list.”