City ‘ignored’ court order on razed homes

A HIGH court order 11 years ago instructing the City to provide proper housing for 22 residents whose shacks law enforcement destroyed in the Bonnytoun informal settlement in Wynberg, has been ignored by the City.

This is according to former Homeless People’s Crisis Committee secretary and activist Colin Arendse, and Bonnytoun resident and leader Mona Allie.

Arendse said residents had asked him and the late Des Ross for help in 2005 when their shacks were repeatedly destroyed by law enforcement.

“We managed to get a legal team to overturn the City’s actions and reinstate these people to the structures they had before the City’s actions,” Arendse said yesterday.

Judge Deon van Zyl had ruled in the 22 homeless people’s favour, making it clear the City should incorporate them into its housing programme, said Arendse.

“He further ruled that the City must meet with Des Ross and myself within three weeks of this ruling, to decide on the way forward and to where the City is going to move the people from that settlement.

“I’m still waiting. Nobody (from the City) has called me to discuss the incorporation of those people into the City’s housing programme. The City must explain why they are in contempt of court,” said Arendse.

Allie, who has lived for 24 years in Bonnytoun, said there were 30 old and 17 new shacks in the area.

Mayor Patricia de Lille’s spokesperson, Zara Nicholson, acknowledged receiving a Cape Times request for comment.

She said the matter was being looked into, but because it happened so long ago, it would take time to investigate the details.