Six families in District Six are contesting an eviction notice served by property owner Ettiene du Toit. The families, who have lived in Searle Street cottages for over a century, have approached the City of Cape Town for mediation.
As reported by Cape Argus, their plea is for the City to expropriate the properties and safeguard the historical residences.
Also read: Insult to injury: Will there be any justice for District Six families?
The families, represented by lawyer Frankl Weber, met for mediation at the Cape Town Civic Centre. Sean Savage, one of the occupants, said that the eviction was unjustified.
‘Not only have we been in those houses for over 100 years, but we are also the last original residents of District Six. They talk about restitution and all that; we’re suffering now what the others suffered long ago. And so we feel that it’s only right for the City to expropriate the properties,’ he said.
The Order of the Sisters of the Holy Cross sold the cottages to du Toit in 2014 for R245 000. du Toit registered the property in June 2022, estimated its worth at R7.5 million, and subsequently served eviction notices.
The residents countered the eviction by seeking expropriation, a move opposed by the City. The case, if unresolved in mediation, is set for the Cape Town High Court.
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Savage detailed the hardships faced since the sale, including periods without water and electricity.
He remarked, ‘It has been a tough time for the family; they’re not youngsters. The whole thing has just been traumatic; up until today, it’s still traumatic. So we’re just hoping and praying that the City will have a change of heart. They’re allocating a lot of money for a lot of different things, and all we ask is for them to compensate this guy. We don’t want to shortchange him, and I don’t blame him. He was just the buyer, but they need to take all these things into consideration.’
While du Toit has opted out of the mediation process and the City has expressed its opposition to the expropriation counter-claim, Weber remains hopeful for a favourable outcome, considering the historical context.
The next mediation session is scheduled for 28 November, with court proceedings to follow if no resolution is reached.
The final decision, poised to impact not just the residents but also the legacy of District Six, now rests in the hands of the legal system.
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Also read:
Having withstood apartheid removals, District Six families fight eviction by new owner
Picture: Anna Sullivan / Unsplash