The City contests PRASA’s relocation of Main Line squatters

Despite waiting years for the lines to be cleared, the City of Cape Town is contesting PRASA over the relocation of 891 squatters from the Metrorail Central Line, where they have crippled public transport for years.

The reason for the dispute is that the site upon which the squatters will be given free housing is an agricultural zone in Philippi East, for which PRASA did not seek zoning permission to develop for the government-contracted tin shack accommodation. Prasa moved residents to the site along the R300 without even notifying the City of their intentions.

Phillippi is a large agricultural pocket in the middle of Cape Town’s metropole which also provides foods at a reduced cost to consumers due to the proximity to supply chains in the densely populated city.

Last month, a public participation process occurred in Mitchells Plain after PRASA acquired land for relocating Central Line residents, following the rezoning of two farms in the Philippi Wedge.

Local ward councillor Elton Jansen highlighted the tension among the recently settled community in Phillipi, due to the land’s use for initiation rites – Xhosa settlers in Cape Town rely on open spaces to conduct the nature retreats essential to the male initiation rite.

Under South African law, evictions cannot take place without a court order, and the authorities must provide alternative accommodation before the eviction can take effect. While trespassing is technically against the law, police have for years, and as a matter of policy, refused to enforce this law, forcing land owners to rely on a tedious and expensive court process designed for the protection of indigent tenants to combat land invasions.

The relocation was prompted by a joint effort between the City and PRASA to clear shacks along Cape Town’s Central Line, called Operation Bhekela. The joint involvement of the City in the operation raises questions about how the relocation to an unsanctioned location could have happened without their knowledge.

The City has requested an urgent meeting with PRASA to address the issue. Despite the dispute, the City is providing free services to the relocated residents, including chemical toilets and running water. PRASA has not issued any public statements regarding the dispute.