Castle occupiers removed after four year battle in Cape Town
Homeless people living outside the Castle of Good Hope were evicted on Friday morning.
The Public Works and Infrastructure Department confirmed in September that the Western Cape High Court granted it an order to evict the group, some of whom had been living on the property for years.
The site has been a point of contention between the City of Cape Town and the national government.
When GroundUp arrived shortly before 6 am, the area around the encampment was already cordoned off. Most of the occupiers had started packing up their belongings.
Moegshien Pillay said he lived with his girlfriend at the site for almost two years. They have been waiting for the court order to be executed since 17 October.
“They want to catch us off guard and load our stuff without giving us a warning. They took our names and asked about shelters but there was no feedback,” he said.
“If someone is going to treat you like a dog then we will resist. If they come in a respectable way and tell us the process, then we are going to do it. Even though we are living outside, we are still human.”
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