Ndifuna Ukwazi Law Centre vows to keep fighting for unlawfully evicted clients' possessions to be returned

CAPE TOWN - The Ndifuna Ukwazi Law Centre says it will continue to fight for its clients' homes and possessions to be returned, restored or replaced following an unlawful eviction of land occupiers in Cape Town last month.

It's representing 38 people who had their homes demolished without a court order and their building materials taken on 19 and 22 August.

The housing lobby body said that PRASA Protection Services and other security officers also allegedly confiscated the occupiers' personal belongings before leaving them exposed to the elements over a weekend of heavy rain.

Ndifuna Ukwazi said that the occupiers had been living in informal structures and tents on the Transnet-owned land along Old Marine Drive for over 20 years.

It urgently sought a court interdict against the passenger rail agency and the high court this past Friday ordered that PRASA return the demolished structures within 24 hours. 

Failing that, it's required to compensate the occupiers by purchasing materials of equivalent value.

Attorney at Ndifuna Ukwazi Law Centre, Caitlin Turok, said that only after the 24 hours to comply with the order had expired did PRASA notify the High Court of its intention to appeal the ruling.

"The situation changed as of last night because they lodged their application for leave to appeal and this suspends the execution of the order so until the decision regarding the application for leave to appeal is decided, that order is essentially frozen in time."

Turok said they don't believe the prospects of an appeal are very high, the date of which is not yet known.