Picture: Leigh-Anne Jansen/HeartFM News
Homeless people, living in the CBD, had until midnight last night to leave or face law enforcement authorities.
In June, the Western Cape High Court granted a final eviction order against the group, to vacate at least ten sites.
Those include Buitengracht Street, FW De Klerk Boulevard, and the Foreshore along the N1.
On Wednesday, the Sheriff of the Court, will evict anyone who’s ignored warnings to move.
During the hearing of the City of Cape Town’s application in October last year, over 200 people were confirmed to have been living at these sites.
The number includes children aged between two and 14.
While the court found that the municipality’s engagement with occupiers regarding alternative accommodation, was far from perfect … it indicated that the failure to reach an agreement, does not automatically mean that the engagement was not meaningful.
According to the Constitution, there’re must a meaningful engagement prior to an eviction.
The City maintains that it wants to restore these public spaces.
The municipality is adamant that it has several safe spaces and shelters to accommodate the group, including their children.
On Monday, the City opened another 300-bed shelter in Green Point.
That takes the total number of beds to 1 070 across all its five facilities.
The jury is still out, though, on whether this is nearly enough to service the scores of homeless people across the City.
