District Six residents picket over eviction order

District Six residents gathered outside the High Court in Cape Town, protesting an eviction order. These individuals have called the cottages they have inhabited for decades in Searle Street their home, despite the recent sale to a private developer. The developer has since obtained an eviction order against the residents. Their legal representative, Frankl Weber, stated that the court has postponed the matter until January 2027.

Weber mentioned that while the eviction order was granted, an appeal was lodged against it. However, the property owner has tried to dismiss the appeal due to delays in obtaining transcripts. An agreement for a postponement was reached to allow them to submit the necessary paperwork. The eviction order was issued by the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court in January under the Prevention of Illegal Eviction Act, demanding the families to leave the Victorian-era cottages by March 6, 2026.

These families are the last remaining residents of District Six, an area where thousands of people were forcibly removed during apartheid. The City of Cape Town confirmed they do not have any vacant emergency housing within District Six or the Cape Town central business district. Most of the land in the area is state-owned and designated for District Six land restitution beneficiaries.