---
title: "Prasa accused of contempt of court over failure to shelter evicted Cape Town families"
description: "Rail agency ordered to restore shelter to people it evicted from the Cape Town Foreshore in August."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "GROUNDUP"
author: "Sandiso Phaliso"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/sandiso-phaliso/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2024-09-10-prasa-accused-of-contempt-of-court-over-failure-to-shelter-evicted-cape-town-families/"
published: "2024-09-10T12:44:20"
updated: "2024-09-10T16:43:23"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 345
---

# Prasa accused of contempt of court over failure to shelter evicted Cape Town families

> Rail agency ordered to restore shelter to people it evicted from the Cape Town Foreshore in August.

By Sandiso Phaliso · Published 10 September 2024, 14:44 SAST · Updated 10 September 2024, 18:43 SAST

## Key points
- Prasa's failure to comply with a court ruling to provide shelter for families illegally evicted in Cape Town has left them out in the cold, with housing activists calling it a "clear act of contempt" as the agency drags its feet on taking action.
- Prasa accused of contempt of court for failing to shelter families evicted in Cape Town.
- Judge gives Prasa 24 hours to provide dwellings, but no action taken over the weekend.
- Housing activist group condemns Prasa's inaction as "clear act of contempt".
- Evicted residents express frustration over living conditions and call for Prasa to comply.

## Content

The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) has been accused of contempt of court for failing to adhere to a Western Cape Division of the [High Court ruling](https://groundup.org.za/article/prasa-ordered-to-return-building-materials-to-land-occupiers/) of 6 September to shelter families it illegally evicted in August from Transnet-owned land along Old Marine Drive in Cape Town.

On Friday, Judge Tandazwa Ndita gave Prasa 24 hours to build “temporary habitable dwellings that afford shelter, privacy and amenities at least equivalent to those that were destroyed”.

But Prasa was nowhere to be seen on the weekend, and nothing has been done to date. GroundUp found people sleeping out in the cold without shelter.

In a statement on Monday, housing activist organisation Ndifuna Ukwazi said Prasa’s inaction was “a clear act of contempt”.

“Only after the 24 hours to comply with the order had expired did Prasa notify the high court of its intention to appeal the ruling. However, no formal application for the appeal has been filed as yet,” the statement said.

Some of the 38 people evicted said they had been living on the land for a decade.

Ally Al-Habsy, 64, a father of three children who had welcomed the court ruling last week, told GroundUp on Sunday: “The court made a decision and we were hoping by now they would comply… It is clear they don’t regard the law.”

“For weeks we have been living in these bad conditions. All we want is to be given back our material and we continue to live as we did.”

Fellow land occupier Brian Rodriguess said: “We deserve better than this. Prasa should comply and do the right thing.”

At the time of publication Prasa spokesperson Andiswa Makanda had not responded to GroundUp’s numerous attempts to get comment.

Later on Tuesday, Makanda responded: “Prasa notes the ruling handed down by the Western Cape High Court on the Foreshore occupiers. Prasa’s legal department has studied the judgment and, in consultation with legal counsel, has taken the decision to take the matter on appeal.” **DM ![Image](https://thirdpartyhits.groundup.org.za/counter/hit/dailymaverick/2024-09-10-prasa-accused-of-contempt-of-court/)**

*First published by*[*GroundUp*](https://groundup.org.za/article/prasa-accused-of-contempt-of-court/)*.*

[Media on Daily Maverick: "100 days GNU"](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2024-09-10-prasa-accused-of-contempt-of-court-over-failure-to-shelter-evicted-cape-town-families/)