Residents of a low-cost apartment complex in Cape Town jeered‚ cheered and clapped as police attempting to enforce evictions were ordered to withdraw on Monday.
A judge at the high court in Cape Town ordered the police to stand down until he had finished reading papers filed in the eviction case‚ said Tina Schoor‚ a community leader at Steen Villa in Steenberg.
Earlier‚ riot police used water cannon to disperse protesters who burnt tyres and rubbish in the street and set fire to a building used to store bins.
Residents said they were being evicted for failing to pay rentals which had become unaffordable. They demanded “fair treatment” from Sohco‚ a private social housing company that owns the development.
A resident told TimesLIVE he was one of the first people who moved into the complex‚ and originally paid R700 a month. His rent was now R1 900. “I am the sole breadwinner. I have a wife and three children I need to provide for. They said that this was going to be affordable housing for us poor people but it has become too expensive‚” he said.
The 31-year-old said he would have to appear in court soon over rental arrears of R24 000.
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