The City of Cape Town and the National Departments of Home Affairs and Public Works have approached the Western Cape High Court to seek an eviction order for the remaining foreign nationals occupying two sites in Cape Town, Wingfield and ‘Paint City’ in Bellville.

While hundreds of foreign nationals have accepted support to relocate from these sites over several years, the remaining unlawful occupants have refused all offers of assistance by the state and United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).

Foreign nationals were initially relocated to the two sites – Wingfield and Paint City – under COVID-19 Level 5 lockdown emergency regulations, and after the High Court granted their eviction from Green Market Square and the Central Methodist Church.

At the time, the foreign nationals cited fears of xenophobia and demanded relocation to Europe or Canada, which is not lawfully possible.

The Department of Home Affairs completed various repatriation and deportation processes, and with the assistance of the City and NPO’s, hundreds of foreign nationals were reintegrated back into their local communities of origin.

In a media statement, the City of Cape Town says those remaining at the sites are meaningfully engaged in self-sustaining economic activity, but refuse to leave, as they aim to leverage this for repatriation to first-world countries.

Around 160 unlawful occupants remain at the Wingfield site – under the custodianship of national Public Works – while around 200 remain at the City-owned Paint City site in Bellville.

There are reports of violent hostility between factions of the unlawful occupants, as well as towards law enforcement authorities.

Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said:

“This joint application aims to restore these sites to their original public use and to bring an end to the undignified conditions for the sake of the unlawful occupants and the general public, as these sites have generated a great deal of public complaints, including traffic, crime and waste challenges.”

Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said extensive support was offered by the state to assist the foreign nationals.

“The demands of remaining unlawful occupants for relocation to Europe or Canada can never lawfully be met, nor can the state continue to bear expenses related to these sites. It must also be noted that these facilities were never intended to provide permanent accommodation, but rather were meant to provide temporary shelter during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Public Works Minister Dean Macpherson said the joint application is the result of a signed collaboration agreement between the different spheres of government.

“This is a good example of what can be achieved when National and Local Government work together, especially with a state asset such as this property. No person has the right to unlawfully occupy state land, which is why around the country, our mission is to fast-track the restoration of public infrastructure for the public good.”