The residents of Blikkiesdorp who were forced to flee have received an offer for alternative accommodation.
This comes after the residents sent a lawyer’s letter to the City of Cape Town to force them to find alternative accommodation or they would take the matter to court.
“The City gave us two options and they said that we can either put up our shacks in Strand or go back to Blikkiesdorp. Of course, that is not an option because we are scared,” said community leader Ettienne Claasen.
A group of leaders in the community formed the Blikkiesdorp Joint Committee (BJC) to work towards proper housing.
The BJC then engaged with the planning process, which was under way for an upgrade to the airport.
They were able to engage with the consultants, airport management and the City about the plans for their relocation.
The plan did not provide for two key communities: foreign nationals and those not eligible for RDP housing.
The group and the City then agreed that all the people from the area, as captured in a 2016 census, would be moved to either houses or site and service plots in a nearby development.
Allison Tilley from Right2Know said: “The City has made an offer and they have identified two sites, obviously this would’ve been better if the situation did not unfold like this, but we hope they will be safe moving forward.”
Mayco member for transport and urban development Brett Herron said: “The City of Cape Town continues to monitor all aspects relating to the Blikkiesdorp situation and we continue to engage with the police who has the duty and the mandate to maintain law and order.”
Herron said a survey of all the potential beneficiaries in Blikkiesdorp had been conducted with the long-term aim of accommodating everybody in the new housing development based on the national housing policy criteria, as the land where Blikkiesdorp was located would eventually be incorporated into the Cape Town International Airport precinct.