Petition addressed to:
Cape Town City Manager
OUR NEIGHBOURHOOD IS NOT BEING PROPERLY PROTECTED. THE CITY MUST ACT.
We, the undersigned residents of La Rochelle, Bellville, call on the City of Cape Town to urgently address the ongoing problem of homeless people occupying and using the servitude leading off La Provence Way as a place to sleep or establish informal living areas.
Residents should not have to live with recurring concerns about the condition of nearby public spaces, waste, sanitation, safety and the possible development of an unmanaged settlement. A servitude must be properly maintained and managed for its intended purpose—not allowed to deteriorate through inaction.
This is not a demand to punish people simply because they are homeless. It is a demand for the City of Cape Town to investigate the situation, address unsafe or unsanitary conditions, provide appropriate social-development assistance and enforce applicable Bylaws where necessary. Bellville has previously faced public concerns about unmanaged occupation of spaces and the need for co-ordinated action by municipal and law-enforcement authorities.
Reason
WHAT WE DEMAND
We call on the City of Cape Town to:
- Inspect the La Provence Way servitude urgently and establish who owns or manages the land and which authority is responsible for taking action.
- Investigate and address existing occupation, including any informal structures, accumulated rubbish, sanitation problems or other hazards found on site.
- Restore and maintain the area by removing accumulated waste, addressing environmental-health risks and preventing the servitude from becoming an unmanaged dumping or camping area.
- Provide appropriate social-development outreach to people living on the site, including information about available shelters and support services.
- Enforce applicable by-laws and laws consistently where unlawful occupation, dangerous conduct, dumping or other contraventions are established, following the required legal procedures.
- Implement ongoing monitoring by the Metro Police Neighbourhood Safety Officers, and follow-up so that the same problems do not simply return after a clean-up or enforcement operation.
- Provide CAPEXIT with a written response identifying the responsible department, proposed interventions and realistic timeframes for action.
ENOUGH DELAYS. LA ROCHELLE DESERVES ACTION.
Residents should not have to accept the deterioration of their surroundings as inevitable. The City must not simply wait for conditions to worsen before responding. Identify the responsible authority, deal with the problem at its source and maintain the area properly.
We call for a solution that is practical, lawful, humane and sustainable—one that respects human dignity while protecting residents’ safety, sanitation and quality of life.
SIGN THIS PETITION. SHARE IT WITH YOUR NEIGHBOURS. LET’S DEMAND ACTION FOR LA ROCHELLE.
To keep Neighborhood safe and clean