Cape Town authorities seek eviction of foreign nationals from Bellville and Wingfield

Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis and national government ministers have sought an eviction order by the Western Cape High Court for the remaining foreign nationals occupying two sites.

The mayor said the eviction order was sought for those occupying the tent located at Wingfield, near Kensington, and at the Paint City Safe Space in Bellville after some of them refused offers from the City to relocate them.

They were initially relocated to the two sites under Covid-19 lockdown regulations, after the Western Cape High Court granted their eviction from Green Market Square and the Central Methodist Church.

“We have now gone through the process of carefully drafting these eviction papers which we have with us and they are being filed in court,” said Mayor Hill-Lewis on Wednesday June 18, outside the Wingfield tent.

He was accompanied by Dr Leon Schreiber, the Minister of Home Affairs, and Dean Macpherson, the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure,

“That means that we can finally start the process both here at this Wingfield tent and further up the road at the Belleville CBD, which residents and businesses there will know as Paint City,”  the mayor added.

Dr Schreiber said there were numerous offers made to relocate many of the people who are staying in these two areas. 

“Many of them took up the offers but some have refused and today we are saying enough is enough,” he said.

Mr Macpherson said his department had plans to help the City with social housing projects in that area in Wingfield.