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The group of seven, called We See You, illegally occupied the luxury home in September to highlight the lack of safe and dignified spaces for queer people, women, children and other underserved people of color.
The group of queer artivists who have been occupying a Camps Bay mansion handed over the keys to the real estate company on October 8, 2020. Image: Kaylynn Palm / EWN
CAPE TOWN – Queer artivists who have been illegally occupying a mansion in Camps Bay finally packed up and left.
The group of seven, called We See You, illegally occupied the luxury home in September.
The protest action was to highlight the lack of safe and dignified spaces for queer people, women, children and other marginalized people of color.
However, the Western Cape Superior Court ordered the group to withdraw at noon Thursday.
This after the real estate company took them to court.
It has been almost three weeks since the group of seven moved into the luxury home with beautiful ocean views.
#We see you #CampsBay The group of queer artivists who have been occupying a mansion in Camps Bay have handed over the keys to the real estate company. KP pic.twitter.com/UMq0QjJ0Bq
– EWN reporter (@ewnreporter) October 8, 2020
On Thursday noon, the group packed their bags and were ready to go.
However, one of the organizations that supports them, Singabalapha, refused to go, saying they planned to occupy the house themselves.
Artivist Kelly-Eve Koopman said they had turned over the keys and would follow the court order.
“We cannot control the movements and how other people want to occupy. If this is their mandate and in terms of their movement, it is something they want to take on, then they should. “
In court last week, the judge made arrangements with the city of Cape Town to provide alternative accommodation to those who said they were homeless.
The support offered by the city was a space on a plot of land in Philippi where structures will be erected.
But will they accept this accommodation?
Another of the occupants, Lethabo Hanong, said they would not.
“We discovered that it is not safe and we are fighting for a safe space for queer people and women who are victims of gender violence.”
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