Outcry as Delft tents torn down

2008-02-25 22:12

Verashni Pillay

Cape Town - The City of Cape Town, along with police, tore down four tents sheltering Delft evictees on Monday afternoon, sparking an outcry from the community.

"We put them up yesterday (Sunday) because we thought it was going to rain," said chairperson of the Western Cape anti-eviction campaign, Ashraf Cassiem told News24.

They had received the tents from charity organisation, Islam Relief Worldwide's Western Cape branch.

About 1 800 people evicted from unfinished subsidised houses in Delft last week are now living on a site adjacent to the land.

They illegally occupied the houses in December last year.

Hans Smit, the city's executive director of housing, told News24 that the tents were hazardous.

"There are certain structural and fire regulations which have to be complied with in terms of public safety."

He said there were no applications for the erection of the tents and no safety certificate had been issued by the fire department.

"The city cannot risk putting people into tents that do not meet the legal requirements," said Smit. "If they should collapse who is responsible for the people?"

'We want houses'

Smit said the city had provided tents for those who needed it until the evictees could be moved to a site in three to four weeks, where temporary housing was being prepared for them.

But Cassiem rejected the help. "We don't want tents from them, we want houses from them."

Smit brushed off the concern.

"There are various groups that have got their own dynamics and own agendas," he said of the evictees.

"The city's agenda is straight forward: those people were put on to the pavement by no action of the city and the city has put into place a rescue programme for them."

- News24