City spends R28 million on foreign national accommodation as eviction plans unfold

Documents citing the eviction of foreign nationals from Wingfield Tent in Kensington and Paint the City in Bellville have revealed that its upkeep has cost state organs, including the City and the Department of Home Affairs, R28 million in maintenance since its inception.

In an affidavit by Cape Town mayor, Geordin Hill Lewis, revealed that it cost the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) and other government departments over R400 000 per month for the running cost of Wingfield Tent and over R240 000 per month for Paint the City.

In the court documents shared with Cape Argus, spreadsheets, including the eviction application, details of the foreign nationals' places of residency and other particulars were clarified.

“I attach hereto FA23” an excel spreadsheet. Demonstrating the total costs that have been incurred by the DHA to date. As appears therefrom an amount of approximately R28 m has been expended by the state in accommodating the respondents,” said Hill-Lewis via his affidavit.

“The City sourced, supplied and initially paid for the rental of the tent at the Wingfield site. This was done on an expedited and urgent basis during April 2020.

“The City thereafter received a negative audit finding by the Auditor General regarding its expenditure to its expenditure at Wingfield. The expenditure was objectionable for two reasons..

“To date an amount of over R15 million has been expended by the DHA on the cost of Wingfield alone.

The current monthly spend at Wingfield is at least R424 905.00.”

He suggested that rental for the Wingfield tent was  R356 500.00, mobile toilets R31 500 and generator and fuel cost 36 905.00.

Hill-Lewis said in Paint the City, the rental of the tent was R221 829.90 per month and mobile toilets and cleaning cost R26 946 60.

“I am advised by the DHA that to date an amount of R7 million has been expended by the DHA on the costs of Paint City property and which amount continues to increase by at least R248 773.70 per month,” he stated

The City in collaboration with the City, Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Dean Macpherson and Minister of Home Affairs, Leon Schreiber made an eviction application for the occupants of the tents.

According to the documents, respondents (the occupants), are to be evicted within 30 days of the court's order and if they do not vacate, the Sheriff and police will be authorized to remove them and any structures they occupy.

The responding parties have fifteen days to file answering affidavits after notifying their intention to oppose and failure to respond will result in the application being granted without opposition on  October 8.

The documents further outline that  Paint the City has 340  individuals whose gender distribution are predominantly male and female individuals, with nationalities primarily from Burundi, Congo, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo ​and the site currently has 150 documented and 190 undocumented.

Paint City measures approximately 29,000 m² and has a marquee tent of 960 m² while Wingfield measures 133,616 m² and has a marquee tent of 2,000 m² and both properties were initially used for emergency accommodation during the COVID-19 lockdown. ​

The court document cites that the occupation has led to illegal taxi ranks and other unauthorised structures around the properties. ​

Approximately 160 individuals occupy the Wingfield site, while around 200 are at Paint City and the living conditions are poor, with issues related to hygiene and safe.

Earlier this month, the refugees said the plans to evict them were against their human rights and that they continued to live in squalor and that their tent was damaged, in what they believed was an attack.

The DHA did not respond to Cape Argus queries.

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Cape Argus