After years of struggling with tenants to pay their rent at the Communicare Sakabula apartment complex in Ruyterwacht, Communicare recently won their eviction case.
Communicare’s mission is to provide affordable housing sustainably in Cape Town for people of low regular incomes with opportunities for economic upliftment.
However, the tenants in question stopped paying their rentals in 2019. This resulted in substantial rental arrears.
And in doing so, their rental arrears rose to over R1,6 million.
Communicare relies on rental income to maintain its service to tenants, Makhosi Kubheka, chief operating officer (COO) of Communicare, says.
Letters of demand
The respondents, in this case, were served letters of demand by the Sheriff of the court on 30 November 2021.
Communicare sought to evict the tenants who objected to the lawsuit, and on 1 December, the Western Cape High Court ruled in Communicare’s favour and gave the evicted tenants an additional two months to vacate the premises.
He continued to say that if they don’t, there is no option but for the law to take its course. “
According to Kubheka, “this is the last resort after we try to negotiate the settlement of their arrears.
“Unfortunately, it has to end this way.”
