A group of Empolweni residents needs permission from the Khayelitsha Magistrate’s Court to live in the area. Picture: Phando Jikelo / African News Agency (ANA) A group of Empolweni residents needs permission from the Khayelitsha Magistrate’s Court to live in the area. Picture: Phando Jikelo / African News Agency (ANA)
Cape Town – A group of Empolweni residents picketed outside the Khayelitsha Magistrate’s Court yesterday in a desperate attempt to be granted permission to live in the area.
They were not included in previous court action against the City, during which the Western Cape High Court found that residents may live there.
Community leader Bonile Mbidlana said residents are demanding land to build structures.
“We want a place to stay, we don’t have a place of our own and it’s now been three months of sleeping in those cold tents. We have many times approached the ward councillor, but he is nowhere to be found. We were all fighting for land, the 49 people who were fortunate enough to be recognised by the court are now turning against us, they tell us that we cannot build our structures as we are not recognised by the court. We want a court order that allows us to have a place to stay like other residents do.
“Every time we try to build structures the law enforcement comes in and destroys our structures and treats us like dogs,” said Mbidlana
The group vowed to sleep at the court if they did not get answers to their demands.
Ward councillor Xolani Ngwekazi distanced himself from the group.
“I am not aware that they were
at the court. Those people know very well that they are not supposed to build structures anywhere, but they do that by force. We were instructed not to build structures until the end of the lockdown.
“These people were not part of the group that took the City to High Court, they are taking advantage of the situation,” said Ngwekazi.
Mayoral committee member for Human Settlements Malusi Booi said “countless illegal occupation attempts affect City’s services and specifically health and hygiene plans to assist with the Covid-19 crisis in informal settlements”.
“The land in question belongs to the City of Cape Town. Further attempts to illegally occupy the land is illegal and structures will be taken down.
"The judge temporarily allowed 49 households only to remain on the land for the duration only of the moving restrictions during Covid-19 lockdown,” said Booi.