City’s housing pledge a lot of hot air – claimants
Erf 81 in Tamboerskloof at issue
AFTER the City demolished shacks put up by protesters in Bo-Kaap – for a fourth time – Mayco member for transport and urban development Brett Herron announced that erf 81 would be used to develop housing for the residents. However, the promised land is already occupied.
Erf 81 in Tamboerskloof is owned by the Department of Public Works (DPW) and is home to approximately 20 dwellers who have occupied the land for more than 20 years.
Andre Laubscher, who started to farm there in 1995, said it’s not the first time he has heard about the land possibly being take over. He said it was a lot of “hot air” from the City as talks between it and the department are simply hearsay.
Laubscher, along with residents on the land and NPO Tyisa Nabanye, who farms on the area, have been legally fighting an eviction order issued by the DWP since 2013. Laubscher said the land is not the City’s to give.
“We’ve been here for 20 years; my dad basically found the place. I was 6 when I moved here. They don’t mention the military at all and it’s military grounds. If the military was saying it, we would be concerned.
“We’ve had people wanting this plot for years, but not for the right reason. To get rid of something as beautiful like this… the country needs a place like this,” said Illiona Morris.
Tyisa Nabanye member Lumko Nimgi said the organisation was not informed by the department or anyone about the land being transferred to the City for social housing and said his organisation would need to meet and discuss a way forward.
Human rights lawyer Ashraf Mahomed, who helped the residents fight their eviction pro bono, said the residents were given the right to reside on the land and the City could not trample on the occupiers’ rights.
“The people who reside there have rights that need to be respected; no one can trample on their rights or else we will have to go to court. Their rights are stated in section 26 and 25 of the constitution,” said Mahomed. Herron said he has not spoken to the DWP about the area, but has been liaising with the National Housing Development Agency (the HDA) to acquire government-owned land, such as erf 81.
If national government permits the City to acquire the property, and development is approved, then the residents will be removed and a process of identifying housing opportunities for them will be implemented, Herron said.
“Erf 81, which is adjacent to the Bo-Kaap, could realise housing opportunities for hundreds of families. Should this development happen, alternative accommodation will be found for informal settlement residents who occupy the site while construction is ongoing.”
Bo-kaap shack protester Shahied Robain said the City’s claim to develop social housing on Erf 81 is empty promises. Residents would continue to protest until they see the plans for housing.