Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has welcomed the removal of squatters from the Castle of Good Hope, saying it was a “positive milestone”.
On Friday, mense who had been occupying the land outside the Castle were finally evicted after resisting a mandate by the Western Cape High Court to relocate by 17 October.
Makeshift tentjies were demolished and swept away while the vuil moat surrounding the iconic building, which was clogged up with vullis, was also cleaned up.
This after the court ruled in favour of the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI).
The eviction was completed at 6am on Friday morning under the direction of the Sheriff of the Court, with the assistance of SAPS and Metro Police.
Hill-Lewis said: “The City of Cape Town welcomes this positive milestone. Positive for the whole city, positive for this heritage site, and positive for those who were living in indignity at this site for several years.
“This has been a very visible site of urban decay in recent years, and its clean up today is an important moment for urban restoration in the city.”
Despite fears that some might resist, the squatters calmly vacated the space as heavy-duty equipment entered to start the clean-up.
A man, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “We couldn't leave with anything but our bags and blankets. No plastic, sheeting or other materials of our structures.
“When the countdown started, we had to take what we needed and leave the space.
“We left peacefully but I will come back when it’s dark, I’m coming back to see what I can save to take with me.”
Unclaimed possessions were moved to the City’s Ndabeni storeroom where occupants could retrieve their belongings.
The City said offers of transitional shelter at City Safe Spaces and NGO-run night shelters have been made, and remain available.
Safe Spaces offer social programmes to assist people off the streets sustainably, reintegrate them into society, and reunite them with family.
The evictions ended a long saga where homeless people invaded land and open spaces during the Covid-19 pandemic, without the government interfering.
These invasions happened in spite of the City providing demarcated spaces around the city during the pandemic.
When the pandemic ended the City had to go the costly route of getting eviction orders through the courts.
The national government’s delay to evict people from State land meant the City was powerless to act and had to wait for these departments to get eviction orders.