Interdict against cops on hold
2008-03-20 17:27
Cape Town - An urgent application to stop police evicting informal traders from a site in Mitchell's Plain on the Cape Flats has been put on hold, a City of Cape Town official said on Thursday.
City Mayor Helen Zille had threatened on Wednesday to seek a high court interdict after police reportedly told traders they had to move on Thursday or be forcibly removed to a new site.
Director in the mayor's office Brent Gerber said shortly before noon on Thursday there had been no action from police.
If they did move in, however, he had instructions from Zille to go ahead with the application.
Zille said on Wednesday that the site, at Mitchells Plain's Town Centre complex, was owned by the city and the informal traders were operating with the permission of the city.
She said the police had no right to force them off that land.
The city had been working closely with the traders on a planned and voluntary relocation of their stalls to an alternative site.
A spokesperson for Western Cape community safety MEC Leonard Ramatlakane said on Thursday he was unable to confirm a rumour that the MEC had ordered the police to hold back on the evictions.
Police last week tore down scores of stalls in a raid during which they arrested 13 suspected illegal immigrants and nine other people allegedly in possession of drugs.
- SAPA