City seeks court order against Symphony squatters

By Mishkah Anthony
17 September 2008

The City of Cape Town says it will seek a court order allowing it to forcibily remove 141 families who have been squatting along Symphony Way in Delft since Febuary.

The City says the squatters are taking up space next to a key secondary road that has been closed to traffic.

However the Symphony Way squatters led by the Anti Eviction Campaign said they refuse to move unless they are provided with proper housing.

Anti Eviction Campaign’s Western Cape coordinator Ashraf Cassiem says the community in Symphony Way has no idea this is being attempted, “it’s ludicrous that whoever wants to attempt to evict us again without providing adequate housing”.

However Hans Smith, Director for the City’s housing, says the City will not give houses to people on the basis that they squat or invade houses illegally. He also says the city does however acknowledge some people may now or in the foreseeable future, qualify for houses.

Smith says the City is adamant that these people should move to the alternate accommodation arranged by the City.

“One of the issues on Symphony Way is that it is a main transport route and the transport authorities are adamant they want that route opened as soon as possible.”

Smith says if these people refuse to move, the City has no alternative but to go and get an eviction order. He says city has already stared the process.