Fiery end to Green Point’s ‘Tent City’ as homeless evicted

It is very sad to see, but when a tent city appears 100m away from your home, like it has with us in Observatory, then this affects your views.

There is not some bucket of rights from which a government can dish out rights to all and sundry, completely free of charge. Rights come at a cost to others. If there is a right to healthcare in the constitution, for example, another guy - the taxpayer - sees his freedom and right to spend his own money as he chooses, being curtailed, because he pays more taxes to pay for the healthcare of strangers. Likewise with all these rights dished out to these squatters. Their right not to be evicted, diminishes the rights of property owners in the area. The legal property owners pay for the rights of the illegals to break the law, by seeing their property values plummet and by having to pay for the officials to evict the squatters via their rates and taxes. Their right to own property and not to have it arbitrarily taken from them, gets diminished in the process. These bleeding-heart lawyers and judges are taking rights away from property owners and are rewarding illegal occupiers for breaking the law. This is the huge problem with SA's Bill of Rights. It only focuses on rights, but not on responsibilities. On the contrary; behaving irresponsibly and illegally occupying other people's property actually gets rewarded. Some like to pretend people have a right to receiving social grants, but this again removes some rights from those who pay for the grants, and this so-called right is not balanced by the responsibility not to procreate recklessly.

As upsetting as these pictures may appear, the hard reality is that this eviction had to happen or Cape Town will end up like downtown Johannesburg. Like it or not, you either have a city where laws and bylaws are enforced; or one where lawlessness, building hijackings, slumlords, anarchy and death rule the roost. See: "Joburg inner-city fire – at least 73 dead, over 50 hurt as flames tear through hijacked building" on this website

About bloody time. It’s taken long enough. It’s the thin edge of the wedge. Tent towns should NEVER be allowed in any city. Look at San Francisco and Los Angeles as examples of cities which have been absolutely ruined by such practices. Of course they have left wing woke Democratic administrations which are happy to promote tent towns.

Ugly but necessary.

How nice that some of us get to complain about views and property prices. As legitimate as those complaints can be for one group, the other group (starting from generations past) have and had every right to be afforded education, land, housing, job opportunities etc that were afforded to many of those who get to complain today. Imagine if roles were reversed. It's a problem you and your children will never face unless you drop a massive ball. Have compassion. The apartheid system made your life easier but harder for some. If you're not sure how generations today are finding it hard to catch up...imagine you're running a 10k and your counterpart has been drive halfway!

I like JvNs post - South Africans dont have a right to just live wherever they want. And if we go back 500 years it was the same - could a Zulu person just arrive in a Xhosa village and somma erect a hut and take land - no chance - in all likelihood he would not be alive for very long. The reality is squatting deprives others of their rights. [from CoPilot] "In the Western Cape, tourism is a significant contributor to the job market. According to a report from the Western Cape Government, tourism is responsible for creating a combined total of 300,000 jobs. Furthermore, a recent surge in tourism helped the Western Cape fill about 99%, or 167,000 of the 169,000 job gains in South Africa in the three months through December." This is likely direct jobs - indirectly the tourism sector probably employs over a million people in the W.C. Why should their jobs be put at risk by squatters in the city centre and in prime areas where tourists want to visit and feel safe. We need to look after our tourists and the rights of millions that depend on the industry.

My Question is where did they come from in the first place, and what makes them believe that they can just squat where they like. As far as the ANC are concerned, if they give them a food parcel, it translates into a vote for them.

About bloody time! I’m not unsympathetic with these homeless people, but they were given dozens of opportunities to move into various alternatives. They chose to not do so, and “the shelter won’t take my dog” is not an excuse. I gave away three of my beloved pets to good homes because I’m broke.

Good day to you. With all due respect to the you. You talk about alternative accommodation for these homeless people. Show us the alternative accommodation you want these people to go to. Are you just dumping them somewhere else where they have got nothing to look forward to in life to better themselves or is this move going to make a difference in their daily lives where they can go to at night knowing they will have a decent roof over their heads protecting them from the elements they have to face day in and day out. The cake is big enough for everyone in this country of ours. Let us stand together as one nation and be there for one another rich and poor. let us work together and not look down on the down trodden. we as a people can make this country great again, no government can make this country great again no political party can make this country great again, but we the people can, if we stand up against these corrupt political parties all of them. So let us unite as one people of the soil of the land and give God a chance to lead us in this battle for a better life for all in our beloved country South Africa.