Fear Grips Activists in Evictions Battle

Sandile Motha

Fear and uncertainty is gripping community activists fighting the City of Cape Town against the unlawful tearing down of housing structures.

According to human rights campaigner and activist Lumkile Xolo, the City of Cape Town has unleashed a reign of terror on activists.

“Since the beginning of the Easter weekend more than 20 activists have been arrested by the city’s evictions units. Some have simply disappeared and we do not know of their whereabouts,” he said.

He said unidentified people using unmarked vehicles were also raiding activists homes and torturing them.

“As activists we are now forced to continuously be on the lookout because we are being hunted down like wild animals. The intention is to scare us off because the city believe that we stoking tensions by questioning their illegal conduct of demolishing people’s homes,” said Xolo.

The families at Empolweni informal settlement where more than 500