Scopa told City of Cape Town not cooperating in relocation of squatters from central line

Deputy Transport Minister Lisa Mangcu says the City of Cape Town is not cooperating when relocating squatters from the central line.

Mangcu was addressing Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) on Wednesday on the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa)’s central line relocation project.

Members of Scopa have called for the reopening of the key passenger line, which hasn’t functioned since 2019 due to vandalism and theft.

Passenger rail agency officials met with Scopa on Wednesday following Tuesday’s oversight visit to stations along the central line.

The line has been inactive for years following a land invasion by squatters and vandalism.

Deputy Transport Minister Mangcu told the meeting that the City of Cape Town was not assisting to try resolve the problem.

“we find a very uncomfortable reluctance from the City of Cape Town, from our point of view at least, to cooperate in assisting in resolving this issue. The city is very critical because it’s not a matter of just getting land.”

Cape Town deputy mayor Eddie Andrews said that the spat with Prasa was regarding funds to buy land as the squatters must be moved.

“We are absolutely committed to ensure that we remove those unlawful occupiers.”

Prasa said that a lot of progress had been made and contractors had already been engaged.

-EWN

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