A pensioner from Parow is facing a bleak Christmas after she was evicted from her council flat by the City of Cape Town.
Elizabeth Stolls, 69, says she has nowhere to go after she was removed from her Parow Park residence yesterday. “I was busy reading my Bible in the kitchen when they came to say that they were removing my stuff,” she cries.
The hartseer auntie says she has been living in Block 10 A6 for 12 years with her partner who died a few years ago.
“I have been to court four years ago and again in March where I was told they are moving me to a smaller place, but now they just come and evict me.
“Ek is ‘n ou vrou van 68, they can’t remove the people who are living illegally but they want to remove me. I don’t have any family here.”
A concerned neighbour, Colby Alexander, says he has been trying to help Elizabeth get the flat on her name.
“This lady was in a relationship with Gerard van der Berg, who was the previous owner of the flat. So according to the State, they are husband and wife, and the Department of Human Settlements failed to put her details on the documentation,” he explains. “I have spoken to the mayor and premier before and they told me that no senior would be evicted at Parow Park, but look now what happened.”
The City says Elizabeth was offered alternate accommodation in 2021, but did not accept it.
“Mrs Stoltz was served with a notice to vacate in 2019 after it was found that she was in unlawful occupation of the rental unit,” it said. “Failure to do so led to the City obtaining an eviction order, which was granted in March 2021, but the execution was held back due to the national state of disaster at the time.”