- A 70-year-old woman and her family were forcibly evicted from their home at Naruna Estate in Plumstead following a court order.
- Despite community pleas for leniency, the Western Cape government proceeded, stating the unit would be reallocated.
- The eviction has sparked community outrage, raising concerns about the treatment of vulnerable individuals in housing disputes.
Maryna Verburg (70) and her family were forcibly evicted from their home of five years at Naruna Estate in Plumstead on Monday 9 December, leaving them with nowhere to go.
The Department of Infrastructure, acting on a court order, removed the elderly woman, her 40-year-old son and two foster sons, aged 19 and 20, despite repeated pleas for leniency.
“I have no family and nowhere else to go,” said the woman, now sleeping outside in the unforgiving summer heat, which has aggravated her chronic migraines. “All I ask is for extra time. I’m willing to pay.” She added: “with every help I sought people over the age of 65 are not taken.”
The eviction followed a three-month notice issued in October. The woman and her family had been living in the unit unlawfully after the original leaseholder’s death.
According to the Western Cape Government, legal proceedings were initiated to regain control of the property.
“The individuals in question unlawfully occupied the property,” stated government spokesperson Melchior Botes, “after which the department initiated legal proceedings for an eviction order. The court granted the order, and the sheriff of the court carried it out on Monday 9 December. The unit has since been barricaded and will be offered to the next person on the City of Cape Town’s housing needs database when restored.”
However, residents at Naruna Estate have expressed scepticism, questioning whether the unit will be reallocated anytime soon.
“We’ve seen this happen before,” said Beverly Strong, chair of the Naruna Estate Residents Association. “Units stay vacant for months or even years while people like her are left on the streets. What happened to human dignity? Show compassion; extend their stay until they find a place. She has nowhere else to go.”
Strong also noted that the elderly woman and her family had pleaded for leniency two weeks prior to the eviction, but received no response from the department.
“This isn’t just about legalities; it’s about humanity. My heart breaks for her, but my own place is too small to take her in.”
The eviction has ignited concerns about the treatment of vulnerable individuals in housing disputes, especially the elderly, who often face barriers accessing shelters and emergency housing. Critics argue that while the Western Cape government followed due process, the lack of a safety net for displaced residents raises troubling questions.
Allegedly, a department official said: “this doesn’t happen overnight; there are processes that need to be followed,” during the eviction. Yet, the sight of a 70-year-old woman sleeping outdoors has left many questioning whether those processes adequately balance the rule of law with compassion.
The Naruna Estate comprises 156 units owned by the Western Cape government. Residents contend that some of these units remain unoccupied for extended periods, undermining the department’s claim of addressing housing needs.
“She’s not asking for much,” said another resident, who wished to remain anonymous. “Even if they gave her a couple of months to find something, it wouldn’t hurt anyone. Instead, the unit will sit there empty, barricaded and unused.”
The Western Cape government’s intentions that the unit would be allocated to someone on the City’s housing database has done little to quell frustrations among the residents. Many are calling for a review of eviction protocols to ensure vulnerable individuals are provided with alternative housing options before being displaced.
For now, the elderly woman and her family are left without a roof over their heads, their dignity overshadowed by a legal process that has drawn sharp criticism from the community. “What are we if we can’t protect our most vulnerable?” Strong questioned.
If you would like to assist the family, call Beverly Strong on 074 341 8252.
