Illegal occupants march to court to retain homes

Illegal occupants of Delft near Cape Town are confident that the Cape High Court will rule in their favour today in their fight against eviction from the N2 Gateway Houses. About
1 000 families - who previously lived in backyards in Delft, Belhar, Elsies River and Bonteheuwel - moved into the uncompleted houses shortly before Christmas.

The National Housing department instructed the developer, Thubelisha Homes, to evict them immediately. An interim order to prevent the eviction was granted on December 21. The spokesperson for the hastily formed Concerned Residents Association, Yolande Plaatjies, says the group will have nowhere to go if evicted.

The illegal occupants were allegedly told to move into these houses by the area's ward councillor, Frank Martin. He has since been charged and is out on bail of R1 000.