The group of seven, called We See You, unlawfully occupied the luxury house in September to highlight the lack of safe and dignified spaces for queer persons, women, children and other marginalised people of colour.
The group of queer artivists who have been occupying a mansion in Camps Bay handed over the keys to the property company on 8 October 2020. Picture: Kaylynn Palm/EWN
CAPE TOWN – The queer artivists who have been illegally occupying a mansion in Camps Bay have finally packed up and left.
The group of seven, called We See You, unlawfully occupied the luxury house in September.
The protest action was to highlight the lack of safe and dignified spaces for queer persons, women, children and other marginalised people of colour.
However, the Western Cape High Court ordered that the group vacate on Thursday at noon.
This after the property company took them to court.
It’s been almost three weeks since the group of seven moved into the luxury house with beautiful sea views.
#WeSeeYou #CampsBay The group of queer artivists who have been occuping a mansion in Camps Bay, have handed over the keys to the property company. KP pic.twitter.com/UMq0QjJ0Bq
— EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) October 8, 2020
On Thursday at noon, the group packed up and was ready to leave.
However, one of the organisation’s supporting them, Singabalapha, refused to go, saying they planned on occupying the house themselves.
Artivist Kelly-Eve Koopman said they had handed 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 up 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 piece of land in Philippi where structures will be erected.
But will they take up this accommodation?
Another one of the occupiers Lethabo Hanong said they would not.
“We found out it’s not safe and we are fighting for safe space for queer people and women who are victims of gender-based violence.”