Much to the anger of many community members, the City of Cape Town is taking action against all residents that are conducting illegal activity – mainly drug dealing - from their city-owned rental unit, by evicting the entire family. Manenberg residents were outraged, saying it was unconstitutional as every South African resident has the right to housing. They further claimed that the city was not investigating the alleged drug dens, but simply just evicting them for seeming suspicious.
“The council doesn’t investigate,” said Jasmin Cloete, resident of Manenberg. “They just say that they are going to evict the people - it’s not right. You cannot do that. There are a lot of minors in these houses. Minors must have roofs over their heads.”
Another resident of the area, Joyce Stollies said that innocent people were being classed as gangsters and drug dealers and subsequently being served eviction notices. “They stand outside and they are classed as gangsters,” said Stollies. “Many of them are not gangsters.”
The Proudly Manenberg Campaign (PMC), which aims to help those living in impoverished conditions in Manenberg, has also condemned the action by the city officials. Secretary of the organisation, Emily Fairbairn said that the evictions were going to contribute largely to the housing shortage in the Western Cape. “Nobody is saying that the problem with drugs is not way out of hand and that tik is not doing a lot of damage,” said Fairbairn. “But is removing housing a way of punishing people?”
“Manenberg was built in the 1960s for about 50,000 peope,” continued Fairbarin. “It’s now at 150,000 and the services aren’t sufficient. The overcrowding is really bad. Every court has got a backyard dweller. In South Africa with an acute housing shortage how can you be throwing people out of houses?”
Devan Petersen of Manenberg said that he’s brother was a drug dealer but has died four years ago. However, he said he has still received an eviction notice because of drug activity on the premises. “It began with my brother when he was smuggling drugs,” he explained. “When my mother found about this stuff she threw him out. He’s been dead almost four years now.” He further said that the notice said that he, along with his parents and wheel-chair bound brother, would have to remove all their belongings from the house they were renting from the city by the end of September.
“We have nowhere to go. My brother is in a wheelchair. Where must he go? Where must my parents go?” added Petersen.
Eviction
Mayoral committee member for housing, Councillor Shehaam Sims confirmed that the City of Cape Town was planning to evict residents in various areas living on council-owned property for drug dealing and other illegal activity. Sims explained that a case is lodged after complaints by neighbours about a particular house and the activity within. City officials would then interview the residents being accused of the wrong-doing and request that they put an immediate stop to their activities. The South African Police Service watches over the houses to monitor the activity. Once it is being established that residents are continuing with their illegal behavior, the case then goes to court and the judge decides whether the eviction should take place or not.
Sims said that currently 200 cases have been lodged of which 60 were being prepared to go to court. “We’ve dealt with the more serious cases,” she Sims. “And the seriousness is determined by how ofen we receive a complaint about a particular house.” Two household have so far received notices to leave by the end of September.
Sims further said that the residents have been warned years in advance. “It takes a number of years when we get to the point where evictions actually happen,” she added, saying that there were 43,000 units owned by the City of Cape Town in various areas. Upon signing the lease agreement, the tenant agrees to abide by all the rules and regulations stipulated by the city, one of which is to not partake in any illegal activity on the premises.
Sims said that if the person who has signed the lease agreement was the one involved in the drug dealing, the entire family would be evicted. However, if that person was guilty and has died, it was up to the rest of the family to change the name on the lease agreement to avoid being evicted. However, if tenant was in jail the entire family would still be evicted.
“The fact that the person is in jail is indicative of the fact that they actually took part in illegal activity,” explained Sims. “They have been given all this time to rectify behaviours and chose not to think about their own family and own children, [therefore] I don’t believe we should make that the problem of the City of Cape Town.”
Sims said that the city was not planning living arrangements for the minors. “I would hope that they would make their own plans. The evictions have not yet taken place. All that has happened is people have been served the necessary notification. And I’m hoping that the sheriff of the court will actually end up causing the evictions to take place … if people rectify their behavior before it ends up going to court then we can reconsider.”
“I believe that they must think about their behavior,” added Sims. “And I’m hoping these two potential evictions will cause people to sit up and think about the impact it will have on them.”
Sims further said that the vacant houses would be given to people who were next on the housing waiting list. “The next person on the waiting list will have to be considered first,” she said. When we take over the drug houses we are actually going to be setting up temporary law enforce offices until such a time things have cooled down and then we will give it to the next person on the waiting list.”
Sims added that the complaints about drugs houses was an old issue and something the City of Cape Town had not dealt with adequately enough. “Therefore I am proud that we are doing something about it and not ignoring the issues and it will continue until the behavior stops.”
- Voice of the Cape
“The council doesn’t investigate,” said Jasmin Cloete, resident of Manenberg. “They just say that they are going to evict the people - it’s not right. You cannot do that. There are a lot of minors in these houses. Minors must have roofs over their heads.”
Another resident of the area, Joyce Stollies said that innocent people were being classed as gangsters and drug dealers and subsequently being served eviction notices. “They stand outside and they are classed as gangsters,” said Stollies. “Many of them are not gangsters.”
The Proudly Manenberg Campaign (PMC), which aims to help those living in impoverished conditions in Manenberg, has also condemned the action by the city officials. Secretary of the organisation, Emily Fairbairn said that the evictions were going to contribute largely to the housing shortage in the Western Cape. “Nobody is saying that the problem with drugs is not way out of hand and that tik is not doing a lot of damage,” said Fairbairn. “But is removing housing a way of punishing people?”
“Manenberg was built in the 1960s for about 50,000 peope,” continued Fairbarin. “It’s now at 150,000 and the services aren’t sufficient. The overcrowding is really bad. Every court has got a backyard dweller. In South Africa with an acute housing shortage how can you be throwing people out of houses?”
Devan Petersen of Manenberg said that he’s brother was a drug dealer but has died four years ago. However, he said he has still received an eviction notice because of drug activity on the premises. “It began with my brother when he was smuggling drugs,” he explained. “When my mother found about this stuff she threw him out. He’s been dead almost four years now.” He further said that the notice said that he, along with his parents and wheel-chair bound brother, would have to remove all their belongings from the house they were renting from the city by the end of September.
“We have nowhere to go. My brother is in a wheelchair. Where must he go? Where must my parents go?” added Petersen.
Eviction
Mayoral committee member for housing, Councillor Shehaam Sims confirmed that the City of Cape Town was planning to evict residents in various areas living on council-owned property for drug dealing and other illegal activity. Sims explained that a case is lodged after complaints by neighbours about a particular house and the activity within. City officials would then interview the residents being accused of the wrong-doing and request that they put an immediate stop to their activities. The South African Police Service watches over the houses to monitor the activity. Once it is being established that residents are continuing with their illegal behavior, the case then goes to court and the judge decides whether the eviction should take place or not.
Sims said that currently 200 cases have been lodged of which 60 were being prepared to go to court. “We’ve dealt with the more serious cases,” she Sims. “And the seriousness is determined by how ofen we receive a complaint about a particular house.” Two household have so far received notices to leave by the end of September.
Sims further said that the residents have been warned years in advance. “It takes a number of years when we get to the point where evictions actually happen,” she added, saying that there were 43,000 units owned by the City of Cape Town in various areas. Upon signing the lease agreement, the tenant agrees to abide by all the rules and regulations stipulated by the city, one of which is to not partake in any illegal activity on the premises.
Sims said that if the person who has signed the lease agreement was the one involved in the drug dealing, the entire family would be evicted. However, if that person was guilty and has died, it was up to the rest of the family to change the name on the lease agreement to avoid being evicted. However, if tenant was in jail the entire family would still be evicted.
“The fact that the person is in jail is indicative of the fact that they actually took part in illegal activity,” explained Sims. “They have been given all this time to rectify behaviours and chose not to think about their own family and own children, [therefore] I don’t believe we should make that the problem of the City of Cape Town.”
Sims said that the city was not planning living arrangements for the minors. “I would hope that they would make their own plans. The evictions have not yet taken place. All that has happened is people have been served the necessary notification. And I’m hoping that the sheriff of the court will actually end up causing the evictions to take place … if people rectify their behavior before it ends up going to court then we can reconsider.”
“I believe that they must think about their behavior,” added Sims. “And I’m hoping these two potential evictions will cause people to sit up and think about the impact it will have on them.”
Sims further said that the vacant houses would be given to people who were next on the housing waiting list. “The next person on the waiting list will have to be considered first,” she said. When we take over the drug houses we are actually going to be setting up temporary law enforce offices until such a time things have cooled down and then we will give it to the next person on the waiting list.”
Sims added that the complaints about drugs houses was an old issue and something the City of Cape Town had not dealt with adequately enough. “Therefore I am proud that we are doing something about it and not ignoring the issues and it will continue until the behavior stops.”
- Voice of the Cape
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