Cape Town — City of Cape Town (CoCT) officials have officially started the process to remove informal dwellers currently living outside the Castle of Good Hope.
An eviction order was issued against the occupants in September, who were given until 17 October to vacate the area. Cape Town mayor, Geordin Hill-Lewis and Public Works and Infrastructure Minister, Dean Macpherson, celebrated the order.
Operations started on Friday morning as Newmarket Street running past the Castle was closed to remove the illegal dwellers. Heavy police presence was on hand as a fire broke out on the lawns near the castle.
We are outside The Castle of Good Hope where a group of homeless people who’ve been living here since 2020 are being evicted. Those being evicted this morning were ordered to move by the 17th of October by the Western Cape High Court.The cause of this fire is unclear. KYM pic.twitter.com/iCUtg4qIDe
— EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) November 1, 2024
The City of Cape Town said the evictions had been completed and a clean-up was now underway and Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis says the City of Cape Town welcomes this positive milestone. He says it is positive for the whole city, positive for the heritage site and positive for those who lived in indignity at this site for several years.
📢 The Castle eviction is done, and now the big clean-up begins!
For years this has been an unsafe site of urban decay. Now we can begin restoring the area. 🌳
This is a positive outcome for the whole city, and also for those who were living there. I’m grateful to the Minister… pic.twitter.com/2fSln4aYNw
— Geordin Hill-Lewis (@geordinhl) November 1, 2024
According to The Citizen, the CoCT assisted the sheriff of the court and the police in their execution of the dwellers at Castle. The CoCT said their role in the evictions was to facilitate shelter for the individuals and document unclaimed personal belongings, while also clearing the site of litter.
Those removed from the Castle will have access to City Safe Spaces and NGO-run night shelters, while their personal items would be stored at the Ndabeni facility where it can be collected by the owners.
The encampment has been described as an eyesore, with the municipality aware of the perception presented to foreign visitors.
“We simply cannot allow state assets to be occupied and vandalised. The occupation and decay of state buildings nationwide create issues for the municipalities by attracting crime and grime which we have also seen at the Castle of Good Hope,” he added.
Pictures from the Castle Of Good Hope eviction taking place today! 🏰
The sheriff of the court of law and law enforcement have moved in to remove the homeless people & structures that have been occupying the space of the tourist attraction since Covid-19. 🛖#CapeTown pic.twitter.com/34X257ILP6
— Dylan Moore (@MrCPT) November 1, 2024
Follow African Insider on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
Picture: X/@MrCPT
For more African news, visit Africaninsider.com
Compiled by Matthew Petersen
