Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has hailed the removal of squatters from the grounds of the Castle of Good Hope as a major accomplishment.
While over 20 individuals accepted offers to relocate to shelters, the South African city plans to prevent future illegal occupations of the national monument. The occupants were given until October 17 to vacate the area, as per a court order.
"For the last two years or slightly more than that, we have been begging the Department of Public Works to take responsibility for the Castle property and do what is necessary, go to court if needs be, to restore it," said Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, as quoted by local media.
He further emphasized the importance of addressing illegal occupations on government-owned land, stating, "We can't allow these sites of urban decay to set in forever."
On Friday, a group of squatters who have been living near the Castle of Good Hope in the South African city of Cape Town since 2020 were evicted by police after being ordered by the Western Cape High Court to leave by October 17.