- The removal of squatters from land near the Sun Valley Wetlands is delayed despite an eviction order granted last year.
- Sun Valley Eco Watch and Sun Valley Neighbourhood Watch raised the issue at a recent Subcouncil 19 meeting, expressing concerns about the growing problem.
- Subcouncil 19 chair Simon Liell-Cock emphasised that alternative accommodations must be found before evictions can proceed.
The removal of squatters illegally occupying land close to the Sun Valley Wetlands, after an eviction order was granted last year, will not happen overnight as the correct processes must be followed.
Sun Valley Eco Watch together with Sun Valley Neighbourhood Watch raised the issue on the agenda at the Subcouncil 19 meeting on Monday 15 July.
Judy Bean, representing Sun Valley Eco Watch and Sun Valley Neighbourhood Watch, tabled a question on how and when squatters would be removed from the area.
“The City of Cape Town, in 2023, was successful in obtaining eviction orders for various land invaders in Sun Valley,” said Bean. “This land is behind the Sun Valley Primary School and the wetland area… it has been months later, and no notices have been issued.”
“Undesirable”
She claimed that the area was attracting undesirable individuals.
“There are already five camp sites,” she said. “If nothing gets done soon then this situation will become unmanageable as this area now is attracting undesirable individuals from other areas as well.”
Bean further alleged that bin pickers were using the area as a sorting and dumping site.
Responding to why no action or evictions have taken place, Subcouncil 19 chair Simon Liell-Cock told People’s Post that the correct processes must be followed before evictions can take place.
“We can’t just move people off,” he said. “There are three erfs and on all of them, the court order was granted. We have found people living informally, including foreign nationals and people who sleep there overnight, transient and there is a hell of a mess.”
He confirmed that the court granted eviction orders in November last year.
“Some people have been living there for a long time and others are transient people,” he said. “There is one person who is older that has been there a long time, so we first need to find out if he qualifies for housing, an old-age home or a homeless safe space.”
Court order
Liell-Cock added that the court order ensured that no new people invaded the land.
“It is a legal process that needs to be followed and we need to find alternative locations,” he said. “We will be working with the departments of informal settlement, housing and law enforcement.”
He reiterated that the correct process needs to be followed.
“A process must be followed and there needs to be assessments done. The main reason for the court order was to stop more people from moving onto the land.”
