Housing

After decades in Walmer Estate, residents face eviction

Sixteen shack-dwellers, including four children, will be left homeless when the sheriff enforces an eviction order in Walmer Estate this week.

Daneel Knoetze

News | 29 October 2014

Residents march for essential services

The City of Cape Town has been given 14 working days to respond to a memorandum of demands from the residents of Marikana, Rolihlahla Park and Klipfontein informal settlements.

Johnnie Isaac

News | 24 October 2014

Joe Slovo housing spat continues

Joe Slovo residents have accused Human Settlements MEC Bonginkosi Madikizela of changing the criteria for housing allocation at the last minute in order to deny them access to new houses. But Madikizela says even “approved” subsidy beneficiaries should not expect automatic allocation of houses.

Daneel Knoetze

News | 23 October 2014

Joe Slovo residents “too young” for houses

Residents of Joe Slovo informal settlement, Langa, have been left homeless after they started demolishing their shacks under the impression that keys to new housing units would be handed over to them. The MEC for Human Settlements, Bonginkosi Madikizela, has said that the shack demolitions were premature and that many of the beneficiaries are “too young” to be prioritised for housing.

Daneel Knoetze

News | 23 October 2014

Mfuleni backyarders clash over land

A piece of land in Bardale was the site of clashes at the weekend when two groups of backyard dwellers from Mfuleni confronted each other.

Johnnie Isaac

News | 21 October 2014

Lwandle residents to SANRAL: where are our possessions?

Lwandle residents who have been rehoused after being evicted from SA National Roads Agency land in June complain that their possessions have been lost or damaged.

Pharie Sefali

News | 21 October 2014

Hangberg residents demonstrate outside court

Hangberg residents demonstrated at the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on Thursday in support of Santonio Jonkers who made his second appearance in court.

Mary-Anne Gontsana

News | 17 October 2014

Lawyers to sue over uncovered drain

Lawyers representing the Bardale resident who fell into an uncovered drain in October last year say they are still processing the legal action.

Johnnie Isaac

News | 14 October 2014

In the business of building shacks

Sheffield Road, one of the busiest roads in Philippi, has become one of the city’s best-known places to buy a shack. Here, builders make a living providing affordable housing for township residents.

Joyce Xi and Mary-Anne Gontsana

Feature | 14 October 2014

Drain claims second victim

Residents of the informal settlement in Bardale have accused Baseline construction company of negligence after a man fell into an open drain, injuring his leg. This is the second incident in a year.

Johnnie Isaac

News | 13 October 2014

Hangberg man to sue police

The man assaulted by police at his home in Hangberg last week is preparing to bring a civil claim against the police. Meanwhile, Hout Bay’s police commissioner has said that neither he nor his staff knew of the covert operation by the National Intervention Unit.

Daneel Knoetze

News | 10 October 2014

Masekane: a crisis in the heart of Woodstock

A hacking cough comes from the motley group of people huddled together in a flimsy shack alongside the railway line near Woodstock’s industrial area. It could be from the smoke from the fire; it could be from the cigarette smoke that fills the shack – or it could be tuberculosis.

Ian Broughton

News | 10 October 2014

Lwandle commission recommends reforms to prevent illegal evictions

The Commission of Inquiry into the Lwandle evictions has recommended changes to legislation to prevent illegal evictions in future.

Daneel Knoetze

News | 8 October 2014

Week in activism

This week we look at the SERI’s workshop on law related to eviction, the social dialogue for the gay and lesbian community, TAC’s march for better services and IOM’s public debate on human trafficking.

Thembela Ntongana

News | 8 October 2014

Hangberg on a knife-edge

Four years after the riots of 2010, Hangberg is on the edge of rebellion. Protests after the arrest of resident Santonio Jonkers engulfed the neighbourhood last week and a traditional leader has warned of impending bloodshed. GroundUp finds out why the 2011 Peace Accord between the community and the authorities seems to be in tatters.

Daneel Knoetze

News | 8 October 2014

Shackdwellers celebrate after City eviction squad backs down

Shackdwellers from Philippi East’s Mangaung informal settlement cheered after they successfully faced off the City of Cape Town’s Anti-Land Invasion Unit (ALIU) on Wednesday.

Daneel Knoetze

News | 2 October 2014