15 August 2024
Homeless people were evicted from several sites in Cape Town’s city centre on Thursday. This follows an order granted by the Western Cape High Court in June to move hundreds of people living on the streets. Photo: Ashraf Hendricks
It was D-day for scores of homeless people living at a few sites in Cape Town’s city centre on Thursday.
Just before 9am, there were chaotic scenes on the Foreshore as City of Cape Town law enforcement officers conducted searches of homeless people standing there and loaded some of their belongings onto trucks.
The Western Cape High Court granted the City an order in June to move hundreds of people living on the streets in and around the city centre. This followed a court battle between the City and homeless groups living on Buitengracht Street, FW De Klerk Boulevard, Foregate Square, Helen Suzman Boulevard, Strand Street, Foreshore/N1, Virginia Avenue and Mill Street Bridge. They were represented by the Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa (SERI).
Last week the City began to “provide assistance for the voluntary relocations” to its Safe Spaces for people who opted to move. People who refused to move stayed at the sites until today.
Partners Janieldine Maulty and Anthea Abrahams. Photo: Matthew Hirsch
Partners Janieldine Maulty and Anthea Abrahams, who have been living on the street for years, were among those who were moved with their tent and other belongings from the Foreshore on Thursday. They told GroundUp that they were worried about losing important documents such as IDs.
Maulty, who has been homeless for 20 years, said anyone could end up living on the streets.
Watching her mattress and other belongings being loaded into a law enforcement trailer, Desiree Harris said she had been living at the Foreshore site for the last five years. She was reluctant to move to another site.
Desiree Harris, who says she has been on the streets for five years, says she will not go to a Safe Space. Photo: Ashraf Hendricks
Nkosinathi Sithole, senior attorney at SERI said it was “a big concern” that some people had not taken up the City’s offer to be moved to its Safe Space facility, and were now faced with evictions.
“It puts us in a difficult situation… They clearly have nowhere to go, and they have their reasons for not taking up the offer of the shelter,” he said.
Sithole said that some people had said they would return to their families.
Law enforcement officers conducted searches of homeless people. Photo: Ashraf Hendricks
At the Mill Street site, most of the people living there had left when GroundUp arrived and City officials were loading tents into trailers.
Ward 77 Councillor Francine Higham was at the Mill Street site. She told GroundUp that the City had given the occupants time to take up offers of alternative accommodation.
“I think it’s really about protecting our public spaces today. A lot of these occupants are right on the edge of the road. It’s very dangerous for them and for the drivers.”
“We want everybody to have dignified accommodation, and we want people to be in our shelters. The offer of alternative accommodation is always open,” she said.
Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said earlier this week that the City had gone to great lengths to offer care to the people living on the streets. “No person has the right to indefinitely refuse all offers of social support while reserving a public space exclusively theirs,” he said in a statement.
GroundUp sent the City of Cape Town questions about Thursday’s eviction. City spokesperson Luthando Tyhalibongo said, “A total of 32 persons were transported to the City’s Safe Space in Green Point, while seven others were relocated to areas of their choice – among them was a family of three who was taken to the provincial social development department for placement.”
He added that when people vacate these sites, “they will be requested to take all of personal belongings. Where personal items are not claimed, these will be documented and stored at the City’s Ndabeni facility where they can be collected by the owner within six months”.
More evictions are expected to take place in the coming days.
The belongings of homeless people sleeping next to Mill Street were put into a removal truck. Photo: Ashraf Hendricks