http://www.sowetan.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=1086475

'We don’t want to live in Tin Can Town’

09 November 2009
Anna Majavu

‘CONCENTRATION CAMP’: Children walk between the zinc houses that were built in Delft, about 30km from Cape Town, as a “temporary” relocation area before people are moved to houses. Photo: Roger Sedres

CAPE Town’s homeless people have accused the metro police of forcibly moving them to the Blikkiesdorp “temporary relocation area” – only for the city’s land invasion unit to evict them for invading land.

http://www.sowetan.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=1078149

‘Electricity hike will hit poor hardest’

14 October 2009
Anna Majavu

OUTRAGE: Eskom’s proposed tariff rise has been slammed from many quarters. PHOTO: MARIANNE SCHWANKHART

COSATU says Eskom’s request for a whopping 45percent a year electricity tariff hike over the next three years will destroy small businesses and force the poor to abandon electricity completely.

“Many of the poor will not be able to afford electricity at all and will turn to more dangerous sources of heat and light, such as paraffin and gas,” said Cosatu spokesperson Patrick Craven.

http://www.sowetan.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=1075866

We’d rather die than move away
08 October 2009
Anna Majavu

Residents fight bid to relocate them

“WE are prepared to die rather than be moved to the city of Cape Town’s temporary relocation area.”

These are the words of a group of about 400 people who yesterday appeared in the Western Cape high court fighting off a city bid to move them to Blikkiesdorp.

The temporary relocation area with its rows of corrugated iron one-roomed “houses” has been nicknamed Blikkiesdorp, or “Tin Can Town” by the 5000 people who currently live there.

http://www.sowetan.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=1068831

MEC under siege over ‘false promise’
23 September 2009
Anna Majavu

Tenants await ‘their’ houses

NEW Western Cape housing MEC Bonginkosi Madikizela is on a collision course with backyard residents from Mandela Park in Khayelitsha.

The tenants have accused him of breaking a promise to give them houses in a new development.

But Madikizela has counter-accused residents of causing a R1million worth of damage to houses during a weekend protest.

http://www.sowetan.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=1060093

Evictions suspended - shack dwellers reprieved
04 September 2009
Anna Majavu

THE Constitutional Court has suspended its order upholding the eviction of 10000 residents of the Joe Slovo informal settlement in Langa, Cape Town.

In March 2008 controversial Cape Judge President John Hlophe ruled that the Joe Slovo shack dwellers must be evicted to make way for the N2 Gateway Housing project.

But community leaders from the Joe Slovo task team took the matter on appeal to the Constitutional Court. In June the court upheld Hlophe’s ruling but ordered that the Joe Slovo residents be removed in phases and placed 20km away in Delft.

http://www.sowetan.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=1053188

High-rise flats for the homeless
21 August 2009
Anna Majavu and Sapa

THE City of Cape Town is planning to build 14-storey blocks of flats in a bid to beat its massive housing backlog.

City housing director Hans Smit said yesterday that the buildings would be grouped in a “town” around facilities such as shops, community centres and schools.

There would be about 200 housing units in each block and from 5000 to 6000 units in each town.

http://www.sowetan.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=1023879

Fired firm can sue municipality
26 June 2009
Anna Majavu - majavua@sowetan.co.za

?Strong case of unfair treatment

JUSTICE department director-general Menzi Simelane says the law firm axed by the City of Cape Town last week may bring a case of unfair discrimination against the municipality in the Equality Court.

Sowetan reported on Tuesday that Cape Town had terminated Smith Tabata Buchanan Boyes (STBB) as one of its service providers after the firm took on a case for the Abahlali baseMjondolo shack dwellers movement against the city.

http://www.sowetan.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=1021985

City gives law firm the boot
23 June 2009
Anna Majavu

Fury at handling of shack case

THE city of Cape Town has purged a major law firm because it took on a case for the Abahlali baseMjondolo shack dwellers movement.

The axing of Smith Tabata Buchanan Boyes has been slammed by Reverend Siyabulela Gidi of the South African Council of Churches, who hired the law firm to represent about 200 Macassar families who had occupied an empty piece of council land last month.

Click here to read the judgment in word and here to read it in pdf.

http://www.sowetan.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=1015832

Court puts an end to life in Joe Slovo
11 June 2009
Anna Majavu - majavua@sowetan.co.za

Residents to get new area

One of Cape Town’s largest informal settlements – Joe Slovo, Langa – is set to be entirely demolished after the Constitutional Court ruled yesterday that its 20000 residents be moved out.

http://www.sowetan.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=1011713

Homeless fight Cape Town city
04 June 2009
Anna Majavu

MORE than 200 back-yard residents are caught up in a legal battle with the city of Cape Town for occupying land in Macassar, near Khayelitsha.

The group, organised by Abahlali baseMjondolo Western Cape, said they were tired of paying R500 to rent rooms in back yards so they have built shacks on the vacant land.

Abahlali baseMjondolo scored an early victory against the city when they won a Cape high court interdict preventing the city from demolishing their shacks.