Hundreds of people to be evicted from land owned by Shoprite

'We don’t want to be thrown into the street like dogs,' says Mfuleni community leader Andiswa Nkohla.

Protesters blocked the busy Saxondown Road in Mfuleni with charred debris and large stones to prevent anti-land invasion officials from evicting them from the Sqawunqawu informal settlement.

People first moved onto the land, owned by Shoprite, in March 2019. The settlement grew during 2020 and 2021 when many people lost their jobs as a result of the COVID-19 lockdowns.

Following several protests and complaints by residents, the City of Cape Town provided water and mobile toilets.

According to the municipality’s human settlements department, Shoprite was initially granted an eviction order on 8 November 2023, which the shack dwellers’ attorney successfully had rescinded on 27 January 2025.

"In the order, the City was directed to provide a housing report related to the personal circumstances of the occupiers."

This report was submitted to the court, and Shoprite then re-enrolled its eviction application. The occupants failed to file an answering affidavit, and the eviction was granted in September. There was nothing in the order directing the city to provide alternative housing.

Residents were served with the order, which stated that they needed to leave the site by 3 October or face forcible eviction on 10 October. The court also granted an interdict against further occupancy on the site.

Community leader Andiswa Nkohla said residents would consider moving only if they were given alternative housing. Nkohla said the eviction would affect 400 people in Snqawunqawu and a dozen others in the neighbouring Madikizela informal settlement.

"We are willing to leave Shoprite’s land, but we have nowhere to go. We don’t want to be thrown into the street like dogs."

She said they had no funds to pay a lawyer to fight this application.

Nkohla said many residents rely on piece jobs and government grants to survive.

Resident Nomonde Manya sells vetkoekand sweets to support her children.

"My children and I will sleep on empty stomachs if I relocate," she said.

Mini Vuyokazi, who works as a cleaner at the nearby Tsitsa Primary School, said moving from the land could jeopardise their ability to earn an income.

"My children also ask me if they will have to drop out of school, but I tell them that Shoprite will evict us next year to ease their worries."

Nkohla said residents were living on edge, worried that officials could return at any moment to execute the eviction.

Shoprite did not respond to our questions by the time of publication.

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