Darling Street families file court papers to stop urgent eviction from govt-owned building

CAPE TOWN - Families facing eviction from Darling Street in Cape Town have filed court papers to stop their urgent eviction from a building owned by the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure.

The hijacked building at 104 Darling Street has been deemed unsafe and declared a problem building by the City of Cape Town.

The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure has since issued eviction notices to the people occupying the building.

However, housing rights activists and law centre Ndifuna Ukwazi said for decades, the building has been a home to more than 60 people, including adults and children.

Ndifuna Ukwazi Attorney Caitlin Turok said they wouldn't go down without a fight.

“While the national minister’s application cites the apparent inhabitability of the building and seemingly a concern for people’s safety as reasons for pursuing an urgent eviction, he has not substantiated these claims, provided any proof of this, or complied with any of the requirements for an urgent eviction order in terms of PIE [Prevention of Illegal Eviction].”

A resident of the building, Nozipho Mgwigwi, said she doesn't understand why they are being pushed out when they've tried to fix the building.
 
"We are busy. We are trying to fix it here. Then, they could help us to build this building back. Some of us are not working, but we try our best. 

“We collect the money, we put it together, we paint, we even fixed the toilets, we fixed the roof. But why now? Why is he pushing us away instead? Where must we stay?"