CAPE TOWN – As former residents marked 60 years since the District Six forced removals on Wednesday 11 February, Searle Street residents facing eviction took to the streets, saying history is repeating itself.
About six families from Searle Street Cottages in District Six now need to find alternative accommodation by Friday 6 March after a Cape Town magistrate ruled their eviction to be lawful.
The families are among the few who survived the forced removals of the late 1960s, when over 60 000 people were displaced from District Six.
The six semi-detached cottages were originally owned by the Holy Cross Sisters, who fought their demolition under the apartheid government.
But in 2014 the properties were sold to a private developer for R2.4 million.
Residents claim they were not offered the first right of refusal to buy by the original owners.
The developer has now issued notices requiring residents to vacate the cottages by the end of this month.
Resident Vanessa Collison said that today, forced removals are no longer justified solely by race but by profit and exclusion under the banner of “development”.
She added that the result remains the same, with working and middle-class families being pushed out of cities while the wealthy are prioritised.
ALSO READ: District Six Museum commemorates 60th anniversary of forced removals
“Five generations from my family lived in these cottages. It is the only home I know.”
Collison said the evictions leave cities stripped of their people and histories.
“These cottages are a landmark for everyone. But they are wiping out all that history for greed. We are appealing to the community to support us.”
Another resident Ita Haricombe said she has been living in the area for the past 16 years.
“This is my home. It is where I want to stay. This is taking an emotional and financial toll on us. We have never wanted to live there for free.”
She explained that she has two children, one who suffers from an illness.
“Where do I go with my two boys? My one son who has an illness only know Searle Street as his home.”
Meanwhile, over 2 500 people have signed a petition urging the eviction be stopped and calling for families to have the chance to buy their homes at a fair price.
When asked about the eviction Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said it was a “private eviction and has nothing to do with the city”.
People’s Post reached out to the developer’s lawyer for comment and will update the article once a response is received.
