Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign Press Statement

Thursday 14th February 2008

4pm

Mass meeting against evictions in Gugulethu this weekend

Last weekend on 10th February 2008, the Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign and the communities of Gugulethu, New and Old Crossroads, Khayelitsha “in and around”, Nyanga, Langa, Mandela Park, Station Park, Hazeldene, Mandalay, Luyoloville, Tambo Village and Settlers (Langa), invited all Ward Councillors to our weekly meeting.

They never showed respect to the community by coming and responding to the community. Therefore this week we have called on the Mayor to attend our meeting.

There are many eviction problems in Gugulethu. Last week on Tuesday police came to five houses in Gugulethu, escorted by someone claiming to be the Sheriff. Those police took peoples furniture out of the houses and evicted the whole family from each of those houses. Three of those houses are council houses and two are bond houses. The man who claimed to be a Sheriff, he did not produce any eviction order from the court. Most people who were at those houses were women.

Those women were complaining that they were not expecting to be treated in that manner because those houses are council houses. The way in which the police behaved, they manhandled most of these woman. Most of the women are complaining about Captain van der Ross, the Gugs station superintendent. The community of Gugulethu and other areas are not happy about that. And now we ask the Mayor of Cape Town to respond to these problems of eviction in Gugulethu as well as other areas.

The media are invited to attend.

Date of mass meeting: Sunday 17th February 2008

Time and place: Gugulethu Sports Complex 2pm

Contact person: Mncedisi on 078 5808646