Darling Street building eviction case stalls

THE occupants of the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure-owned and neglected building at 104-106 Darling Street, Cape Town, continue to face uncertainty after an urgent eviction application was stalled this week.

- GENEVIEVE SERRA

Housing rights activists and law centre, Ndifuna Ukwazi, said the eviction application was expected to be heard on Wednesday, but was not due to Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) Minister Dean Macpherson’s legal representative not being present.

It comes as the government last week announced a new strategy to address the issue of hijacked and abandoned state-owned buildings, which includes early detection and rapid response to illegal occupation, investigation and arrest of perpetrators.

According to the eviction application, which was shared with the Cape Argus dated February 21, it seeks an urgent notice as an interim eviction, with the assistance of the Sheriff of the Court and the police, and for notices to be displayed to inform the occupants that their personal belongings were to be removed.