• News
  • Sport
  • TV
  • Radio
  • Education
  • TV Licences
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
  • SOUTH AFRICA
  • POLITICS
  • BUSINESS
  • SPORT
  • AFRICA
  • WORLD
  • SCI-TECH
  • LIFESTYLE
  • FEATURES
  • OPINION
Home South Africa

Almost 300 foreign nationals removed from streets of Cape Town

1 March 2020, 6:45 PM  |
Chris Mabuya Chris Mabuya |  @SABCNews
Foreign National

Last month, the high court in Cape Town ruled that the foreign nationals may no longer live, sleep, cook and wash in public spaces.

Foreign National

Image: SABC News

Last month, the high court in Cape Town ruled that the foreign nationals may no longer live, sleep, cook and wash in public spaces.

Close to 300 foreign nationals have been removed from the street outside the Central Methodist Church in the Cape Town CBD. They have been living on the pavement along Burg and Long market Streets since October 2019.

A large group of law enforcement officers loaded the personal possessions of the foreign nationals onto trucks on Sunday morning. The city acted on a court order to remove the foreign nationals and effect its by-laws.

The process went ahead despite some protests from some people. The affected refugees say they have nowhere else to go.

“As we don’t trust South Africa or the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) anymore, we are going to find the next step ourselves, even if we walk out of South Africa because this is not human.”

Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security JP Smith says the foreign nationals were informed timeously about an operation to remove them.

“The City of Cape is not insensitive to the plight of the refugees, but we simply cannot allow the situation to carry on unchecked as it’s has become a major problem and serious impact on the surrounding businesses, including the traders on Green Market Square. Furthermore we not in a position to provide emergency shelter to the group, given a great need that exist among South Africans, we appeal to the refugees to return to their homes they vacated last year in October to join the occupation of St Georges Mall,” says Smith.

Last month, the high court in Cape Town ruled that the foreign nationals may no longer live, sleep, cook and wash in public spaces. It ordered the city and the home affairs department to inform and document approximately 300 foreigners living outside the Central Methodist Church.

In this video below, police remove foreign nationals from the Cape Town CBD.

The City applied for an interdict in 2019 after more than 600 foreign nationals moved into the church, but not all could be accommodated inside. Many of them slept, cooked and washed outside the church.

Acting Cape Town High Court Judge Daniel Thulare gave the City had a week to execute the order.

“Since October 2019 we have been prohibited from enforcing the city by-laws, which has led to absolutely an untenable situation around Green Market Square despite complaints from businesses, informal traders, residents, tour operators and everybody else. The court decision means that we now have a process, which includes the City supplying a venue for the Department of Home Affairs to do the screening of foreign nationals, which we will do within the seven days that the court order requires,” says City of Cape Town’s JP Smith.

Foreign nationals say they are disappointed with the court ruling:

Smith says any plan to settle somewhere else in the CBD will be in contempt of court. Some affected people have called on the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to intervene.

 

Share article
Tags: Cape TownForeign nationalsJP Smith
Previous Post

WHO guidelines must be followed in quarantining those returning from Wuhan: SA Medical Association

Next Post

SA women’s cricket team advance to semi-finals

Related Posts

Mandela who advocated for reconciliation, died on this day at his home in Johannesburg at the age of 95.

67 Blankets for Madiba campaign goes all out to celebrate 9th anniversary

27 January 2023, 9:38 PM
A gavel is shown with a book in the background.

Soweto “fridge-killer” planned murder of cousin-lover: NPA

27 January 2023, 8:49 PM
A sign against child abuse.

IPID investigates case of mother-child rape video

27 January 2023, 7:41 PM
[FILE IMAGE] Residents are seen in the background as tyres burn on the streets.

Protests shut down Komani businesses

27 January 2023, 4:42 PM
Bullet casings and broken glass

Clermont shooting claims 2 lives, 4 others injured

27 January 2023, 4:24 PM
[File Image] : A worker harvests grapes

Table grape farmers request exemption from rolling blackouts

27 January 2023, 4:00 PM
Next Post
Laura Wolvaardt

SA women’s cricket team advance to semi-finals

Most Viewed

  • 24hrs
  • Week
  • Month
  • Northern Cape’s Kakamas to be exempted from blackouts
  • Scorcher predicted in Northern Cape for two weeks
  • Chances of reaching Stage 8 blackouts are receding: Eskom
  • Residents shut down Komani over power woes
  • Eswatini human rights lawyer gunned down in the presence of his family
  • Parts of the Northern Cape to be exempted from rolling blackouts
  • VIDEO | St Benedict College’s Matric learner gets 11 distinctions
  • Limpopo matriculant from child-headed household attains diploma pass
  • Female circumcision practice thriving in Eastern Cape
  • Babes Wodumo breaks her silence at Mampintsha’s funeral
  • Diepsloot residents block N14 highway
  • LIVE: City of Joburg Council elects new mayor
  • Al Jamah’s Thapelo Amad touted to be Joburg’s new mayor
  • UPDATE: Thapelo Amad elected as new Mayor of Joburg
  • KZN farmer fined R1.5 million for unauthorised water use

LATEST

Eskom says stage 4 will be implemented in the evenings from 16:00pm until 05:00am over the weekend.
  • Business

Stage 3 load shedding kicks in from Saturday morning: Eskom  


Gauteng ANC chair Panyaza Lesufi
  • Politics

Removal of Phalatse will yield similar results in other municipalities: Lesufi


Mandela who advocated for reconciliation, died on this day at his home in Johannesburg at the age of 95.
  • South Africa

67 Blankets for Madiba campaign goes all out to celebrate 9th anniversary


FILE PHOTO: Institute of Political Studies (IEP) or "Sciences Po" main entrance at the Institute in Paris, France, May 28, 2013. Picture taken May 28, 2013. REUTERS/Charles Platiau/File Photo
  • Lifestyle

Top French university bans use of ChatGPT to prevent plagiarism


Five former Memphis police officers were charged on Thursday (January 26) with murder in the death of Tyre Nichols, a Black man who died three days after a traffic stop, prosecutors said.
  • World

United States awaits release of Tyre Nichols’ video


Electricity pylons are seen along the cooling tower of the defunct Orlando Power Station in Soweto.
  • Business

More South Africans join calls for national state of disaster to address electricity crisis


Weather

  • About the SABC
  • Contact Us
  • Jobs
  • Advertise
  • Disclaimer
  • Site Map

SABC © 2022

No Result
View All Result
  • SOUTH AFRICA
  • POLITICS
  • BUSINESS
  • SPORT
  • AFRICA
  • WORLD
  • SCI-TECH
  • LIFESTYLE
  • FEATURES
  • OPINION

© 2022

Previous WHO guidelines must be followed in quarantining those returning from Wuhan: SA Medical Association
Next Laura Wolvaardt SA women’s cricket team advance to semi-finals