Despite the severe winter weather expected to hit the Mother City at the weekend, the City of Cape Town has dismantled shacks that were "illegally erected" at the Blue Waters refugees camp site, situated near Strandfontein.
City spokesperson Pieter Cronje said the refugees had been warned that if they did not dismantle their shacks themselves, the city would do it for them.
A private contractor, acting in the presence of city law enforcement officials, said he had dismantled about 13 shacks on Thursday.
The Cape Argus visited the camp after the officials had left and found the refugees trying to rebuild the shelters.
Cronje said the city had told the refugees many times to take down the shacks, but no one had heeded the warning.
"The shacks were built quite a while ago and we warned them that they were illegal. So 13 shacks were dismantled and those that remain will be dismantled shortly," explained Cronje.
One refugee camp leader said they did not understand why their shacks had been dismantled only now.
"It is winter now and we were trying to protect ourselves, because the tents were leaking. "Besides, the city provided the material, we never went out to look for floor boards (the material used to build the shelters)," said John Kisonezi.
The refugees said they were upset that the shacks had been destroyed, saying that their children would get cold.
Kisonezi alleged that, at some point during the dismantling of the shacks, a six-month pregnant Somali woman was injured in a scuffle with a security guard and had to be taken to hospital for treatment.
Cronje said he was aware of the incident, but could not confirm the reason for the scuffle.
He said that law enforcement officials were investigating the incident.
The city said it would seek an eviction order for the refugees still living at the Blue Waters and if they were unopposed in their application, the matter would be heard in the Cape High Court on May 26.
- Cape Argus
City spokesperson Pieter Cronje said the refugees had been warned that if they did not dismantle their shacks themselves, the city would do it for them.
A private contractor, acting in the presence of city law enforcement officials, said he had dismantled about 13 shacks on Thursday.
The Cape Argus visited the camp after the officials had left and found the refugees trying to rebuild the shelters.
Cronje said the city had told the refugees many times to take down the shacks, but no one had heeded the warning.
"The shacks were built quite a while ago and we warned them that they were illegal. So 13 shacks were dismantled and those that remain will be dismantled shortly," explained Cronje.
One refugee camp leader said they did not understand why their shacks had been dismantled only now.
"It is winter now and we were trying to protect ourselves, because the tents were leaking. "Besides, the city provided the material, we never went out to look for floor boards (the material used to build the shelters)," said John Kisonezi.
The refugees said they were upset that the shacks had been destroyed, saying that their children would get cold.
Kisonezi alleged that, at some point during the dismantling of the shacks, a six-month pregnant Somali woman was injured in a scuffle with a security guard and had to be taken to hospital for treatment.
Cronje said he was aware of the incident, but could not confirm the reason for the scuffle.
He said that law enforcement officials were investigating the incident.
The city said it would seek an eviction order for the refugees still living at the Blue Waters and if they were unopposed in their application, the matter would be heard in the Cape High Court on May 26.
- Cape Argus
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