Eviction of homeless people living outside Castle of Good Hope to happen soon - Hill-Lewis
The occupants, who have been living on the government-owned land since 2020, were handed eviction notices to vacate the property earlier in October.
Cape Town's Castle of Good Hope. Picture: Wikicommons
CAPE TOWN - Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said that the homeless people living outside the Castle of Good Hope would soon be evicted from the site.
The occupants, who have been living on the government-owned land since 2020, were handed eviction notices to vacate the property earlier in October.
The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure was granted an eviction order in September.
Hill-Lewis addressed the city council on Wednesday, saying the eviction would be an important milestone for Cape Town.
"That has been a site of really terrible dereliction and urban decay for the last four or five years. It's been a very difficult problem to solve."
Hill-Lewis said that he was not certain how many of the homeless had accepted the city's offer of accommodation at safe space shelters.
"The offer is freely and openly and generously made and they can accept it right up until the moment of eviction. Most of the residents accept the offer of alternative accommodation only at the last minute when they are actually being evicted."
The mayor said he was not at liberty to reveal the date the eviction would happen.