October 21, 2009 Edition 1
Aziz Hartley – Cape Times
REPRESENTATIVES of families squatting on the pavement next to Symphony Way in Delft will meet the city council today to discuss their relocation to Blikkiesdorp – a nearby temporary relocation area.
Their move was supposed to start on Monday, the Western Cape High Court ruled.
“The mood is sombre and although people know the outcome of the court ruling, they are trying to get to grips with it,” Anti Eviction Campaign leader Ashraf Cassiem said yesterday.
Some of the 127 families held a meeting on Monday evening to air their views on relocation to Blikkiesdorp.
“I’m also going door to door to give everyone the opportunity to express themselves on this matter. People are upset, but we also want to show that we are law-abiding citizens. We do not want any confrontation with the authorities. We’ve been there before,” Cassiem said.
Symphony Way resident and mother of three, Evelyn Mcquena, said: “We had a good meeting on Monday. People are determined to fight – not to stay next to the road, but to have access to decent houses.”
Some families wanted to remain because they feared crime and drugs in Blikkiesdorp, she said.
Blikkiesdorp community committee chairman Gerald Flagg said: “What will happen to them if they have nowhere to go? They are negative about this place, but things have improved. We have water. Electricity gets installed as people move in. It is up to people to create their own environment.”
aziz.hartley@inl.co.za
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