City of Cape Town says Belhar families facing eviction won't be homeless
While judgment to determine whether the families will be evicted has been reserved, the city says the occupants have been offered alternative accommodation in Elsies River, but refuse to move.
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CAPE TOWN - The City of Cape Town said that nine Belhar families who illegally occupied a housing complex would not be rendered homeless if they were evicted.
The families who were living in the area as backyarders moved into the vacant houses at the Pentech housing development in May 2021.
While judgment to determine whether the families will be evicted has been reserved, the city said the occupants had been offered alternative accommodation in Elsies River, but refused to move.
City Mayco member for Human Settlements Carl Pophaim said that the occupants already had homes before moving into the complex.
"The facts show the unlawful occupants will not be rendered homeless and have the capacity to go back to their original homes."
Bradley Jacobs, who moved his family into one of the houses, said that besides the bad living conditions they were experiencing, housing officials also made them promises.
"We went to housing meetings, where promises were made about the backyard dwellers, but when the project kicked off it was all people from other areas. I thought: 'What happened to us?'"
Jacobs said the families did not want to go back to being backyard dwellers and refused to be moved outside of the Belhar area.