Several families residing in Shelley Road, Salt River have expressed that they had nowhere else to go should the City sell the homes.
On June 26, a string of households received a notice from the City, informing them that their tenancy and lease might be terminated due to the City’s intention to sell the properties. They were also told to make the properties accessible for scheduled viewings.
Sheradia Brown, 62, said she has resided in her 2-bedroom house her entire life, which she shares with her husband, who has cancer, her daughters and grandchildren.
“For years now, almost 40 years, we've been fighting for these houses. That is something my mother has been fighting for all these years.”
Resident Joy Mary Adriaan, 64, said in 2019, the City wanted to increase her rental from R243 to R5 500. She approached Ndifuna Ukwazi for assistance and won her case.
She said the City did not mention providing alternative accommodation but hopes the rental would be in the same range.
Salt River Residents Association (SRRA) executive member Sulaiman Appoles said it was not far-fetched to link the notices to the ten-storey residential development currently under construction at 17 Shelley Road.
“As the SRRA we are pursuing the investigation of the approval and construction of that development. In the end, this all forms part of a pattern of City actions - all of it carefully designed to replace long-standing residents with wealthier classes of people, including from Johannesburg. Gentrification is the policy, unstated policy of the City of Cape Town with respect to Salt River, Woodstock.”
The City confirmed nine households were issued the notices. On why the City will be selling these properties, the City said the properties were surplus to the City’s need and Council approved the disposal in 1999.
shakirah.thebus@inl.co.za