City of Cape Town could evict homeless people from state-owned property

CAPE TOWN - Homeless people who have been living outside the Castle of Good Hope in Cape Town's CBD for more than two years now could soon be evicted from the state-owned property.

After a lengthy process on Friday, the National Department of Public Works made a court application for an eviction order to have the unlawful occupants removed from the national monument.

Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said that the unlawful occupation at the castle is impacting its status as a top tourist destination while also creating a risk to public safety in the vicinity.

Hill-Lewis said that the city has assisted the Department of Public Works (DPW) by conducting on-site surveys to document the personal circumstances of the unlawful occupants.

"It is high time that this public place is restored to public use, not only for its tourism and economic importance but also for the sake of the unlawful occupants."

The department's eviction application comes shortly after the high court this week granted an order for the city to evict more than two thousand people from various sites around the CBD.