Somalis relocated from the Bluewaters refugee camp near Strandfontein to Blikkiesdorp emergency camp in Delft, fear for their lives after being threatened with being burnt alive for allegedly jumping the housing queue.
This after residents demonstrated, and claimed the Somalis were taking their homes.
A fearful Somali woman, who did not want to be named said they had been in Blikkiesdorp for two days and now they desperately wanted to be repatriated to Somalia.
"We have already spoken to the UNHRC (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) and they said they will move us but we must be patient."
She has two children, one only 13 days old, the other two.
"Last night (Tuesday) a crowd of people came to us and started asking all kinds of questions, like why we were there and how we managed to get houses so quickly when they have been on the waiting lists for months," she said.
She added that when they returned inside, the crowd started throwing stones at their dwelling made of corrugated iron and shouted that if they do not move they will burn them.
Her brother who also did not want his name mentioned, said: "At Bluewaters we were safe, we had water and clean toilets. Here we don't have water, there is no electricity and no proper toilets."
Beverley Jacobs, a Blikkiesdorp community leader, said: "Work is being done in terms of electricity, poles are being put up. Most of the toilets do not work, but we have put the matter forward to the council."
She said she had sympathy for the Somalis because when she first arrived in Blikkiesdorp, she had the same problems and the City of Cape Town took a while to do something about it.
Thando Swartz, a resident and also part of the committee, said: "The city must come and fix things in Blikkiesdorp. It is unsafe here especially at night because there is no electricity."
William Kerfoot, the Somalis' legal representative, said he had met them and they decided to stay one more night in Blikkiesdorp and will decide on their next step today.
SAPS and Metro Police set up an office in Blikkiesdorp to ensure residents were safe.
- Cape Times
This after residents demonstrated, and claimed the Somalis were taking their homes.
A fearful Somali woman, who did not want to be named said they had been in Blikkiesdorp for two days and now they desperately wanted to be repatriated to Somalia.
| 'At Bluewaters we were safe, we had water and clean toilets' |
She has two children, one only 13 days old, the other two.
"Last night (Tuesday) a crowd of people came to us and started asking all kinds of questions, like why we were there and how we managed to get houses so quickly when they have been on the waiting lists for months," she said.
She added that when they returned inside, the crowd started throwing stones at their dwelling made of corrugated iron and shouted that if they do not move they will burn them.
Her brother who also did not want his name mentioned, said: "At Bluewaters we were safe, we had water and clean toilets. Here we don't have water, there is no electricity and no proper toilets."
Beverley Jacobs, a Blikkiesdorp community leader, said: "Work is being done in terms of electricity, poles are being put up. Most of the toilets do not work, but we have put the matter forward to the council."
She said she had sympathy for the Somalis because when she first arrived in Blikkiesdorp, she had the same problems and the City of Cape Town took a while to do something about it.
Thando Swartz, a resident and also part of the committee, said: "The city must come and fix things in Blikkiesdorp. It is unsafe here especially at night because there is no electricity."
William Kerfoot, the Somalis' legal representative, said he had met them and they decided to stay one more night in Blikkiesdorp and will decide on their next step today.
SAPS and Metro Police set up an office in Blikkiesdorp to ensure residents were safe.
- Cape Times
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