Image for illustrative purposes. Picture: X / @RothSafaris
The informal dwellers outside the Castle of Good Hope are 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 (DPWI) Dean Macpherson for his role in securing the order.
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 clearing the site of litter.
Removed persons will have access to the City’s Safe Spaces and night shelters run by non-governmental organisations. Their personal items will be stored at the Ndabeni facility where they can be collected by the owners.
The property belongs to DPWI and Macpherson said the occupiers had been offered accommodation, a warm meal and social services by the CoCT.
“This eviction order was necessitated after the property became overwhelmed with residents residing in it illegally and which had also seen the Castle see a significant decline,” he said in a message shared with The Citizen.
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The minister added that the area had become a hazard, rife with criminal elements.
“It is important to note that no individual has the right to occupy public land and claim it as their own.
“This is a move that the DPWI is determined to see take place across all illegally occupied land or buildings that are under its custodianship so that they are able to be used for the public good,” he concluded.
The encampment has been described as an eyesore, with the municipality aware of the perception presented to foreign visitors.
Upon the eviction order being granted, Macpherson called it a boost for Cape Town’s economy ahead of the busy summer tourism season.
“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 stated.
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