The City has warned people not to invade land during the lockdown after it demolished structures that were erected in at informal settlement in Ocean View on Friday.
“It was not an eviction. The land was illegally occupied by people and we have an agreement with all spheres of government to remove people from land even though it’s not City-owned,” said mayco member for human settlements Malusi Booi.
People must not be reckless. This is a very dangerous virus (Covid-19) and they must not use this to wreak havoc and if people invade land they are putting lives at risk.” Kashiefa Achmat, a member of Housing Assembly – a social movement representing over 20 communities in the Western Cape – said the land was privately owned and on Friday residents who had been staying for years were forced to leave.
“Shacks were being torn down by law enforcement who were wearing masks, and community members could not see the officers’ faces to identify them. This leaves the community nowhere to shelter from the rain and nowhere to go while we remain under lockdown after months of living in this location. The City has conducted other illegal evictions and forced removals during lockdown despite the moratorium on evictions,” she said.
“As well as the current laws under lockdown, these residents are also protected under the Prevention of Illegal Eviction Act, which provides procedures for eviction of unlawful occupants and prohibits unlawful evictions. Neither of these legal restrictions have been adhered to.
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Source: IOL
