Press Alert
Sunday 23 December 2007
9pm

DELFT, CAPE TOWN – A major clash looks likely to take place tomorrow (Monday 24th December 2007) from early in the morning in Delft, Cape Town.

Today, Lindiwe Sisulu, Minister of Housing, gave the instruction to Thubelisha Homes and the SA Police to decisively remove all 1000 people who have occupied the 500 newly built BNG houses in Delft.

Shortly after she gave this instruction, four truckloads of soldiers stationed themselves at Delft police station.

We must point out that this looming eviction will be completely illegal. There is absolutely no eviction order from the court that would authorise the government to evict these residents.

This also shows that the new Zuma led ANC is no better than the Mbeki led ANC, since the new ANC National Executive Committee has done nothing to try and resolve this situation. Once again, it is a case of unleashing huge amounts of police and soldiers to brutalise people who are out of sight of the public.

However, tomorrow’s police brutality will not go unnoticed. The community has appealed for support from other communities tomorrow morning and many people will attend.

They will also be holding a demonstration outside the Bellville Magistrates Court where three Delft activists will appear having been arrested last week for occupying the houses.

The people of Delft have been promised houses for almost 14 years by the ANC government and by every different municipal government in Cape Town and they have every right to take over those houses which are standing empty. Like other communities in SA, Delft is in a crisis. It is extremely overcrowded and people are desperate for housing. The government has made a very foolish blunder by proposing to leave the homeless of Delft in their backyards and forcibly remove the people of Joe Slovo to Delft, where they do not want to go.

…/ends

For more info call:

Ashraf Cassiem – 076 186 1408
Mzonke Poni – 073 2562036
Martin Legassick – 083 4176837