Castle Occupiers Removed

Several structures caught alight on Friday morning where a group of homeless people were being evicted from the site outside the Castle of Good Hope in Cape Town. It is unclear how the fire started.

• Scores of people who had been living outside the Castle of Good Hope in Cape Town were evicted on Friday morning.
• This comes after the Cape High Court, in September, granted the order to the Public Works and Infrastructure Department.
• When we arrived, many of the occupiers had voluntarily begun packing up their belongings.
• Some people were eventually taken to the City’s Safe Space shelters while others said they weren’t sure where they’d spend the night.

Homeless people living outside the Castle of Good Hope were evicted on Friday morning.

The Public Works and Infrastructure Department confirmed in September that the Western Cape High Court granted it an order to evict the group, some of whom had been living on the property for years. The site has been a point of contention between the City of Cape Town and the national government.

When GroundUp arrived shortly before 6am, the area around the encampment was already cordoned off. Most of the occupiers had started packing up their belongings.

Moegshien Pillay said he lived with his girlfriend at the site for almost two years. He said they have been waiting for the court order to be executed since 17 October.

“They want to catch us off guard and load our stuff without giving us a warning. They took our names and asked about shelters but there was no feedback,” he said. “If someone is going to treat you like a dog then we will resist. If they come in a respectable way and tell us the process, then we are going to do it. Even though we are living outside, we are still human.”

Teams removed and dismantled some of the structures.

Edmund May was also packing his belongings when we arrived. He said he had been living on the streets for most of his life. “I don’t really know where I’m going. I’m going to see where the wind is going to take me,” he said.

This is the second time in six months he has been removed from where he was sleeping. “It’s going to be useless for me to go to a shelter,” he added.

Taryn Jannieke, who has been homeless for more than 20 years, said, “It’s not nice to stay outside at all but this is my family. I can’t just leave.” She said she wasn’t sure where she’ll sleep tonight.

Just before 7am several structures caught on fire. It is unclear how the blaze started but it was quickly put out by the City’s fire and rescue team.

Many of the occupiers voluntarily took their belongings from the site.

GroundUp saw a few rats running from the makeshift structures as they were dismantled. An hour later, the sheriff of the court arrived, accompanied by police. The occupiers were given 15 minutes to leave with their belongings.

By 9am most of the structures had been taken down and clean-up operations started. We were told that some people had opted to go to the City’s Safe Spaces while others were being taken to their chosen destinations.

Cleaning teams wearing protective gear began clearing the site on Friday.

Castle CEO Calvyn Gilfellan said he was happy the eviction had been done humanely. He said the land should now be used as a public space and they were hoping to start a garden there soon.

Public Works Minister Dean Macpherson said, “We welcome the work being done by the sheriff and the City to ensure that these evictions are done in a peaceful manner … the option remains open (for the occupiers) to seek assistance.”

Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis added that the eviction was necessary to preserve the heritage site. “This has been a very visible site of urban decay in recent years, and its clean up today is an important moment for urban restoration in the city. We also appreciate the urgent attention this matter received in recent months from the custodian of the Castle, the national Department of Public Works and Infrastructure.”

Police guarded the area during the eviction.

“The unlawful occupation began during the national lockdown, and we are relieved it has come to an end, not only because of the Castle’s tourism and economic importance, but also for the sake of the unlawful occupants. Accepting social assistance to get off the streets is the best choice for dignity, health, and well-being. No person has the right to reserve a public space as exclusively theirs, while indefinitely refusing all offers of shelter and social assistance,” Hill-Lewis said.

In a statement, the City said it will spend over R220-million over the next three years to expand and operate its Safe Space shelters beyond the current 1,070 beds across the city centre, Bellville, and Durbanville facilities. Another facility is on the cards for Muizenberg, with plans for more around the .

The site and moat outside the Castle were extremely polluted.

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