Nine families from Blikkiesdorp in Delft on the Cape Flats have vowed not to return to the area until their safety is guaranteed.
They have sought refuge at a church in the Cape Town CBD.The families say they are being attacked by vigilantes and gangsters who are causing havoc in the area, forcing people out of their homes.
Community Activist Ettienne Claasen says these families, which include women and children, fled the temporary informal settlement, fearing for their lives.
“It’s not safe there anymore because I was just wondering who will be next. Even the children at night when they pass the shack, I wonder will they come into my place. Will I die tonight you know? Because a lot of killings happened there. They burnt people, they shot people, and they even cut people’s stomachs open you know. So that’s not a place to live in anymore.”
Alison Tilly from the Right to Know Campaign is ensuring that the families are safe and well accommodated.
“There are many issues in Blikkiesdorp. The one right now is essentially that the leadership that has led the community in the last 7/8 years, to the point where they are now have some resources and hope for the future, that leadership is now being pushed out. People see an opportunity they think they can come in an take over the housing project there, they think they can take over the houses. They will not be able to do that but they are under the impression that they will and they are doing that by killing people in the community and breaking down and burning their houses.”
Blikkiesdorp has become well known for its high crime rate and substandard living conditions.
Four people have reportedly been killed in the area in the last three weeks.
Police are on high alert in the area but for the families that have fled, the future is still uncertain.
