Vertreibungen - aus dem eigenen Haus

In Kapstadt mehren sich die Vorfälle, dass die städtische Wohnungsbaugesellschaft Menschen aus dem - in Mietkauf erworbenen - Haus vertreibt: meist getrennt lebende Frauen, die aber von ihren Männern nicht geschieden sind, weshalb es keine rechtliche Basis für diese Vertreibungen gibt. Eine Aktion die von vielen in der Stadt im Zusammenhang mit Vertreibungen quer durchs Land gesehen wird - sei es wegen "Urbanisierung" oder Nichtbezahlung von Wasser und Strom. Der kurze englische Mailbericht (über diverse Listen) "Family evicted in Newfields Village despite 'halt' on evictions" von Gary Hartzenberg vom 26. Juni 2006.

Family evicted in Newfields Village despite 'halt' on evictions

NEWFIELDS VILLAGE, CAPE TOWN, 26 JUNE 2006 - Mrs Mary Bailey from 6 Farm Street, Newfields Village, was evicted this morning despite efforts of the Newfields Village Residents Committee to halt her eviction.

Last week sheriffs first came to evict Mrs Bailey and her family, and residents managed to turn them away, but this morning the sheriff came back to do the eviction.

Mrs Bailey is not aware of any legal action take against her, and hasn't had a chance to defend herself in court. Allegedly the eviction was done on the instructions of her husband, from whom she is separated. Gary Hartzenberg question how this can be the case since Mrs Bailey is still married and thus has a shared right to the house. On the face of it Mrs Bailey's situation seems similar to that of Mrs Fortune of Eastridge, also a resident in a CTCHC house, who is threatened with eviction after legal papers were served on her husband and not her.

Newfields residents are currently in dispute with the Cape Town Community Housing Company (CTCHC) which built their houses. The houses were destined for low income families who would purchase them on a rent-to-buy basis, yet the rents charged were much higher and the quality of the houses much lower than promised. Legal action against CTCHC residents across the city is meant to be suspended according to an agreement between residents and Dan Plato, the City exco member for Housing, which is why Mr Hartzenberg and others can't understand why this eviction took place.