Lawyers, Slovo residents meet on way forward

Slovo residents will appeal the eviction ruling on Thursday

Representatives of the Joe Slovo community in Langa are to meet with their legal team this morning to discuss an application for leave to appeal an eviction order.

The Cape High Court granted the Department of Housing and its agency, Thubelisha Homes, an order to evict more than 4 000 people from a tract of land at the informal settlement on Monday. The land is earmarked for the second phase of the N2 Gateway Housing Project.

The government wants to relocate the community at temporary structures in Delft. Community leader Mzwanele Zulu says they hope to establish a way forward by this afternoon.

Last week Zulu appealed for calm after members of the community expressed their unhappiness over the ruling.

'Slovo residents will not be put out on the streets'
Judge President John Hlophe, who handed down the order, said on Monday that the Joe Slovo residents would not be put on the streets to fend for themselves, but would be moved to much better accommodation at the expense of the state.

"It is...envisaged that once the houses have been built and completed, a significant number of the residents will be offered the opportunity of returning to Joe Slovo, to occupy the houses in terms of the qualifying criteria," he said.

Joe Slovo is one of Cape Town's biggest informal settlements, containing about 4 500 crowded shacks and roughly 20 000 people. It is 10km from the city centre. - Additional reporting by Sapa