The controversial Strandfontein camp for the homeless, which has been discontinued. File picture: Phando Jikelo/African News Agency The controversial Strandfontein camp for the homeless, which has been discontinued. File picture: Phando Jikelo/African News Agency
Cape Town – Human rights organisations have questioned the City’s intentions for filing an application to interdict the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) and eight of its monitors.
The Western Cape High Court yesterday convened to hear the City of Cape Town’s case, in which it is attempting to interdict the SAHRC and eight of its accredited monitors over their work at the Strandfontein camp for the homeless during April and last month.
The City instituted court proceedings against the entities last month, accusing the SAHRC and its monitors of interfering, without legal standing, in oversight of the camp.
In a statement, 55 groups, including the Bonteheuwel Development Forum, Oxfam South Africa and the Gender Equity Unit from UWC, said the interdict was an attempt to undermine the constitutional power of the SAHRC and hide “inhumane conditions” at the camp.
“Through this act, the City is effectively putting human rights on trial. If the court finds in favour of the City of Cape Town, this would amount to a serious setback for democracy.
“Many ordinary people are concerned about this case as it will undermine the ability to monitor the rights of people being relocated from overcrowded conditions as the rate of infection climbs.
"The government has since the beginning of the lockdown indicated an intention to “de-densify”, without giving clear and detailed plans for how people’s rights will be protected in the course of such relocation,” the groups jointly said.
The City was unable to respond to requests for comment by deadline yesterday.
The organisations said they offered their solidarity to human rights monitors.
SAHRC provincial commissioner Chris Nissen said the matter had been postponed until next week.
“They vilified the monitors to circumvent the scrutiny they got over the alleged violations that appeared at the camp.
“The monitors acted with the utmost professionalism and the only passion they had was to help the homeless people and for that, they were vilified by the City,” Nissen said.