Government to talk to Slovo lawyers

The department of housing has told its legal team to engage with lawyers representing Cape Town's Joe Slovo squatters in a bid to thrash out a settlement for the Constitutional Court.

The court on Thursday urged all sides in the dispute to co-operate in putting together a draft order to replace an eviction order issued earlier this year by Cape judge president John Hlophe.

The squatters are challenging the order, which seeks to remove them from land destined for the N2 Gateway housing project.

"We have instructed our lawyers to urgently prepare to engage with the legal team representing the other parties to try to reach a common position on the draft order," housing director-general Itumeleng Kotsoane said in a statement on Friday.

He said there could be no disagreement with the sentiment expressed from the Bench that the best way to resolve challenges in housing delivery was "by agreement with the people".

"From the outset of the N2 Gateway pilot project, in all our consultations with residents of Joe Slovo... we have sought to affirm the dignity of the people," Kotsoane said.

However, delivery should not be hamstrung, he said. - Sapa