Albert Road move seen as unjust
Residents resist their relocation
THE CITY of Cape Town is sticking to its guns that the only accommodation it can offer the residents of Albert Road, Woodstock is about 30km away in Wolverivier, east of Melkbosstrand. At a court hearing at the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court, the lawyer representing the residents in the case questioned whether Wolverivier was suitable for the residents.
“Relocating the Woodstock residents to Wolwerivier is socio-economic discrimination. This discrimination is based on class and not race,” said Mark Owen, the lawyer representing the residents.
Owen argued that the city council did not provide enough evidence to assist the court in making a decision. Former mayoral committee member for transport and urban development, Brett Herron, testified at the hearing.
“I admit that Wolverivier is not ideal but it is the only emergency accommodation that the city has,” said Herron, who testified as a mayoral committee member, despite the fact that former Cape Town mayor Patricia De Lille’s mayoral committee was dissolved after her membership was rescinded by the DA on Tuesday.
“I was obligated to come to court but I am currently a councillor given the current political tension within the City,” he said.
Owen asked Herron if there were any other developments in Wolverivier. Herron said the area served only as a emergency site. “It’s not meant for permanent residence, although when we went there we saw that some residents have made themselves comfortable by installing DStv and putting in new flooring,” Herron said.
A total of 15 Albert Road residents were given eviction notices after a disagreement with their landlord for allegedly not paying rent for over a year. The residents were given eviction notices in both March and April last year. The City initially offered the group emergency housing in Wolwerivier which is situated just off the N7 and in Blikkiesdorp and Delft. The residents rejected this offer, requesting instead that the City temporarily erect structures for them on vacant land in the area where they are currently living.
But even if the court decides they should move to Wolverivier they would have to wait some months for units to be installed. “Wolwerivier has 466 housing units. It would take at least six to eight months to get extra housing units to that site,” said Waleed Adams, the City’s head of engineering services for Human Settlements.
Adams said the units were made of prefab lightweight steel with corrugated cladding and roofing.
The magistrate postponed the matter, allowing legal representatives to make further submissions by May 23. He reserved judgment and will inform lawyers when he plans to hand down judgment.