CoCT welcomes Public Works Dept court application to evict the homeless from Castle of Good Hope

CAPE TOWN - The City of Cape Town has welcomed the national Department of Public Works’s court application to evict homeless people from the Castle of Good Hope.

Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said the castle is one of the oldest buildings in Cape Town, a Grade One national monument.

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Hill-Lewis said the unlawful occupation at the castle was impacting its status as a tourist destination while creating a safety risk in the vicinity.

"This is a very long outstanding matter since the unlawful occupation began during the national lockdown period. 

"We have been consistently asking the department to start this process over the last two years, in particular. It is now high time that this public place is restored to public use."

The mayor said the city offered the occupants transitional shelter in safe spaces and night shelters.

"Accepting social assistance to get off the streets is the best choice for dignity, health, and well-being for each person."

Hill-Lewis said no person had the right to reserve a public space as exclusively theirs while refusing shelter offers.