Mayor Hill-Lewis supports families impacted by housing unit hi-jackings
07 June 2024
Cape Town Mayor, Geordin Hill-Lewis, and Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements, Councillor Carl Pophaim, were in the Western Cape High Court today to support beneficiaries of the City’s Belhar-Pentech housing project who were dispossessed of their completed apartments due to an eleventh hour hi-jacking of the units.
The City has been fighting for over two and a half years in court to gain an eviction order and restore the homes to the rightful beneficiary families.
On 16 May 2021, the night before nine families were to get the keys to their long-awaited new homes in the Belhar-Pentech development, the doors of their new homes were smashed down and a group of illegal occupiers moved in.
Mayor Hill-Lewis' Office launched urgent eviction proceedings to try to restore the homes to their rightful beneficiaries.
However for two and a half years, court processes have been delayed several times by the unlawful occupants for various reasons, including last minute changes to their legal counsel; failure to secure legal representation despite extensive notice; and most recently a lengthy delay due to their newly appointed lawyer not being familiar with the case.
Unlawful occupants further resisted the Court's instruction to talk to the City about their personal circumstances.
'We are finally able to stand up for these families in court today, after more than two and a half years of fighting for them to be heard. We are glad to have some of the families joining us today, so that the court can see the real victims of this cynical hijacking of completed homes the night before these were to be handed over.
'The hi-jacking was led by people already living in the area, who relocated from their homes elsewhere in the neighbourhood to seize these new homes. As a matter of principle, the City believes they should not receive alternative emergency accommodation in this matter. The facts show the unlawful occupants will not be rendered homeless, and have the capacity to go back to their original homes. We are further arguing that the unlawful occupants cannot be elevated above the many thousands on the waiting list for state-subsidised housing.
'Due to many delays, the legal system has already unwittingly permitted the grave injustice of the illegal hijacking of these homes for two and a half years. It is my hope that the court will not permit any further delays in issuing an eviction order so that these families can finally have their homes restored to them,' said Mayor Hill-Lewis.
The City's Belhar-Pentech is a 'Breaking New Ground' housing development made up of 340 state-subsidised housing units aimed at the metro's most vulnerable residents.
'Almost all units have already been completed and lawfully occupied by the rightful beneficiaries. This is just one example of the impact of unlawful occupation – it robs rightful beneficiaries, who work within the law, of their opportunities. Whether this is illegal occupation of Council public housing, which is rife, or the unlawful occupation of land where projects have been planned or where there are no services.
'I have been leading a new campaign to improve the dignity and safety in our public housing spaces. Illegal occupation of our units, whether it is subsidy housing or rental units, is absolutely devastating to our programmes, our beneficiaries and the safety in our communities. My campaign calls on communities, tenants and neighbourhoods to help us prevent criminal activities and unlawful occupation in our rental and subsidy units. See something, say something is a call to action – if we work together we can create safer communities,' said Councillor Pophaim.
See something, say something
Report crime and unlawful occupation to 021 480 7700
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Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office
