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The We See You collective left the Camps Bay house they occupied to comply with a court order. (Jenni Evans, News24)
- Seven people who occupied a Camps Bay Airbnb left Thursday as requested.
- However, as they were about to leave, another group arrived, loudly threatening to “take back what was theirs.”
- The original group, the collective “We See You”, has found alternative short-term accommodation to avoid being liable for massive legal costs.
- The house is now empty, as both groups left.
The seven people who occupied a Camps Bay Airbnb to highlight inequalities left as requested Thursday.
However, when they were about to leave, another group arrived and threatened to “take back what was theirs from the beginning.”
Both groups have since left.
The original group of the collective “We See You” has found alternative short-term accommodation to avoid being liable for the huge legal costs established in a court order last week.
However, as they searched for the last time for forgotten adapters and other personal items, a group from Singapalapha arrived and began to sing in the dining room.
“I am here because I am taking back what was forcibly taken from me in 1652,” said Yolanda Mjuza of Singabalapha.
“We See You” had shown solidarity with Singabalapha, who had also faced eviction.
However, on Thursday, when the group We See You asked everyone to leave, Singabalapha confronted them on the sidewalk.
“Where is the alternative accommodation?” yelled a woman in the group We See You.
Singapalapha says they are here to stay in a turn of the Camps Bay Airbnb occupation just as the collective was about to leave. Kelly-Lee Koopman says this has nothing to do with the collective and the original 7 are going right now. @ TeamNews24 pic.twitter.com/MEnoHZ0P7X
– Jenni Evans (@itchybyte) October 8, 2020
Kelly-Lee Koopman told them that they had chosen not to stay at the Philippi site that the city of Cape Town had offered for security reasons.
The house agent arrived and shortly after noon the keys were handed over as agreed.
The agent went upstairs for an exit inspection and then there was a dispute over whether there was damage or not as the group was unable to enter for the inspection.
The agent did not commit and left.
A woman who did not want to be identified spent the morning cleaning the kitchen and emptying containers while the group We See You answered media inquiries.
One of the occupants, Wewe Ngidi, had worked for a well-known hotel that was forced to close during the closure.
With a reduced salary and late UIF payments, Ngidi had trouble paying the rent of R8,000 per month.
“I don’t have a fight with them,” Ngidi said of the hotel.
Lethabo Hanang said that they had been evicted from their home. Hanang said that when they started to transition they were fired.
A woman from the Camps Bay Airbnb arts collective is leaving the kitchen spotless. Luggage already packed and loaded in cars. Just a few last checks to collect bits and bobs like forgotten adapters and delivery keys. @ TeamNews24 pic.twitter.com/JUAQP7Y57S
– Jenni Evans (@itchybyte) October 8, 2020
The group is still looking for alternative long-term accommodation.
The We See You collective booked a short stay in September and then let the agent know that they wanted to talk to the owner about making it a safe space for people like Hanang and Ngidi.
Agent Turnkey365 informed them that they had to leave before September 25.
This deadline was ignored and, after they were taken to court, they finally agreed to leave.
They packed bags and groceries in the cars that came for them and waited outside for the agent to finish the inspections.
Meanwhile, Singabalapha was also milling about, shouting at the people who passed by.
They left around the same time as a police car and a private security company arrived.
At 1:00 p.m., people were chatting in the street and the We See You group set off in several vehicles that came to pick them up.
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