By Tando Mfengwana
07 October 2006
The City of Cape Town is said to be planning to move squatters living under bridges, following a devastating Vanguard Drive fire that caused extensive traffic congestion in the area.
The Weekend Argus reports that Charles Cooper, the city’s spokesperson said that the city will act in terms of the Prevention of Illegal Eviction from and Unlawful Occupation Act-PIE Act if any further occupation under bridges occurred.
Cooper said that the people living under bridges are breaking the law.
On Monday a fire burnt about 70 shacks in an informal settlement under the Vanguard Drive-N7 bridge. Two people were reported to have died from that incident, Isaac Gadezana, 58, and Denver de Kock, 39.
The report says that the intense heat, that was fuelled by several gas cylinders in peoples shacks’ caused structural damage to the concrete and reinforced-steel structure of the bridge.
Officials had to close off the heavily used road until Thursday afternoon, and traffic had to be rerouted.
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