Hout Bay shack dwellers plan resistance to forced removal
By Celeste Ganga
18 January 2008
About 75 shack dwellers and one family living in a house in a section of Hangberg in Hout Bay, Cape Town are facing eviction from their land by South African Sea Products.
“The community is angered and intends to resist the forced removal because they say that some of the land belongs to the City and not to South African Sea Products, so the company does not have the right to evict them” says Chairperson of the Hangberg Solution Seekers Association (a community organisation), Michelle Yon.
She adds that most of the residents work in Hout Bay as fishermen and some work as casuals at the company itself. Yon goes on to say that they will not allow South African Sea Products to forcibly remove them without alternative accommodation being provided.
“The community tried already to buy the hostel themselves to set up a low cost housing project and were under the impression that the company would still sell it to them,” explains Yon.
The community will appear in the Cape High Court on Tuesday (29 January 2008) to oppose the eviction order. They will be assisted by the Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign.
Attempts to get hold of South African Sea Products were unsuccessful.
18 January 2008
About 75 shack dwellers and one family living in a house in a section of Hangberg in Hout Bay, Cape Town are facing eviction from their land by South African Sea Products.
“The community is angered and intends to resist the forced removal because they say that some of the land belongs to the City and not to South African Sea Products, so the company does not have the right to evict them” says Chairperson of the Hangberg Solution Seekers Association (a community organisation), Michelle Yon.
She adds that most of the residents work in Hout Bay as fishermen and some work as casuals at the company itself. Yon goes on to say that they will not allow South African Sea Products to forcibly remove them without alternative accommodation being provided.
“The community tried already to buy the hostel themselves to set up a low cost housing project and were under the impression that the company would still sell it to them,” explains Yon.
The community will appear in the Cape High Court on Tuesday (29 January 2008) to oppose the eviction order. They will be assisted by the Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign.
Attempts to get hold of South African Sea Products were unsuccessful.
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