Inside the eviction of Castle of Good Hope’s illegal dwellers

The informal dwellers outside the Castle of Good Hope are reportedly being removed by City of Cape Town (CoCT) officials.

An eviction order was granted against the occupants last month, who were given until 17 October to vacate the area.

Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis celebrated the granting of the eviction order in a social media post on 19 September, thanking Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Dean Macpherson for his role in securing the order.

Castle occupiers evicted

Newmarket Street running past the Castle was closed early on Friday morning as authorities prepared to remove the illegal dwellers.

Reports from the scene showed a heavy police presence, with a fire having broken out near the exterior lawns of the Castle.

“The CoCT is assisting the sheriff of the court and police in their execution of an eviction order on behalf of the national DPWI at the Castle of Good Hope,” the city confirmed to The Citizen.

The CoCT explained that their role in the eviction was to facilitate shelter for the individuals, documenting unclaimed personal belongings and and clearing the site of litter.

Removed persons will have access City Safe Spaces and NGO-run night shelters and personal items will be stored at the Ndabeni facility where they can be collected by the owners.

Boost for tourism

The encampment has been described as an eyesore, with the municipality aware of the perception presented to foreign visitors.

“The eviction order serves as a boost for Cape Town’s economy ahead of the busy summer tourism season in the city,” stated Macpherson upon the eviction order being granted.

“We simply cannot allow state assets to be occupied and vandalised. The occupation and decay of state buildings nationwide create issues for the municipalities by attracting crime and grime which we have also seen at the Castle of Good Hope,” he added.

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