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100 signatures reached
To: CITY OF CAPE TOWN MAYOR, Geordin Hill-Lewis
SAVE THE SEARLE STREET FAMILIES. STOP THE DISTRICT SIX EVICTIONS NOW!
Why is this important?
APARTHEID DID NOT END. IT WAS REBRANDED.
Today forced removals are no longer justified solely by race, but by PROFIT and exclusion under the banner of ‘development’. The result is the same. Working and middle class families are being pushed out of our cities while the wealthy are prioritised. Our cities are being stripped of its people and their histories.
The Searle Street Cottages and the residing families are among the very few who survived the forced removals of the late 1960s, when over 60 000 people were displaced from District Six. Now, in 2026, 60 years after District Six was declared a “White Group Area” they face eviction and displacement AGAIN.
HOW CAN ONE SURVIVE APARTHEID FORCED REMOVALS ONLY TO BE EVICTED IN DEMOCRACY?
The six semi-detached cottages were originally owned by the Holy Cross Sisters, who fought their demolition during the Apartheid Regime. Despite this history, the properties were later sold (circa 2014) to a Mpumalanga-based developer for R2.4 million, even when the long standing residents had attempted to purchase their homes themselves. Instead of being given the opportunity, families were forced to discover their homes for sale online. WHY were they not given the chance to buy the properties at a FAIR PRICE? Click here to view a write up and here for the timeline of events.
Today, the same developer has issued notices requiring residents to vacate the cottages by the end of February 2026. Many of these families have lived there their entire lives, with one family residing there since the early 1920s, housing five generations.
These are not vacant buildings. These are FAMILY HOMES and communities that are threatened by a system that prioritises profit over people. While the plans for the property are not clear there is well warranted speculation around the developer’s intended plans to demolish the family homes and develop "micro-lofts with mountain views" who the average South African would not be able to afford.
Why are profit driven agendas being prioritised over the right to affordable housing in the inner city?
Why were residents denied the opportunity to buy their homes at a fair price?
Why is the painful history of District Six being repeated under the banner of “development”?
This is not just a housing issue. It is a moral failure, a historical injustice and a continuation of displacement in a country that has yet to redress the injustices of the past in a city already facing an urgent housing crisis.
WE DEMAND ACTION NOW:
1. Stop the eviction of the District Six Searle Street Families NOW!
2. Allow the families to purchase their homes at a fair price
Reject the erasure of District Six history. Stop the ongoing cycle of forced removals.
District Six is not for sale. People above profit.
Upcoming Events in Solidarity that you can get involved in:
* 4 February 2026 at 17:30 @D6 Museum– Rent Control Group Workshop on the Rental Housing Crisis in Cape Town.
* 7 February 2026 at 14:00 @ Cissie Gool House Hall– SaveSearleStreet Campaign supported by the Umbrella Civic ward 57+, Rent Control Group, Walmer Estate Civic Association and Reclaim the City will host a Learning, Banner and Poster making session ahead of the Mid-February Solidarity Picnic Event (SAVE SEARLE STREET RESIDENTS). Please keep an eye out on our social media for further updates. Come and learn about what is happening to the residents and the housing crisis more broadly
* 14 February 2026 at 15:00- SAVE SEARLE STREET SOLIDARITY PICNIC EVENT @ Searle Street Park ** (Supported by the Umbrella Civic ward 57+, Rent Control Group, Walmer Estate Civic Association and Reclaim the City). Come and support the residents of Searle Street in their fight against evictions. We will communicate the demand and how you can assist. Please keep an eye out on our social media below.
Website: SaveSearleStreet
Instagram: @save_searle
Substack: [@savesearlestreet ](https://substack.com/@savesearlestreet)
Today forced removals are no longer justified solely by race, but by PROFIT and exclusion under the banner of ‘development’. The result is the same. Working and middle class families are being pushed out of our cities while the wealthy are prioritised. Our cities are being stripped of its people and their histories.
The Searle Street Cottages and the residing families are among the very few who survived the forced removals of the late 1960s, when over 60 000 people were displaced from District Six. Now, in 2026, 60 years after District Six was declared a “White Group Area” they face eviction and displacement AGAIN.
HOW CAN ONE SURVIVE APARTHEID FORCED REMOVALS ONLY TO BE EVICTED IN DEMOCRACY?
The six semi-detached cottages were originally owned by the Holy Cross Sisters, who fought their demolition during the Apartheid Regime. Despite this history, the properties were later sold (circa 2014) to a Mpumalanga-based developer for R2.4 million, even when the long standing residents had attempted to purchase their homes themselves. Instead of being given the opportunity, families were forced to discover their homes for sale online. WHY were they not given the chance to buy the properties at a FAIR PRICE? Click here to view a write up and here for the timeline of events.
Today, the same developer has issued notices requiring residents to vacate the cottages by the end of February 2026. Many of these families have lived there their entire lives, with one family residing there since the early 1920s, housing five generations.
These are not vacant buildings. These are FAMILY HOMES and communities that are threatened by a system that prioritises profit over people. While the plans for the property are not clear there is well warranted speculation around the developer’s intended plans to demolish the family homes and develop "micro-lofts with mountain views" who the average South African would not be able to afford.
Why are profit driven agendas being prioritised over the right to affordable housing in the inner city?
Why were residents denied the opportunity to buy their homes at a fair price?
Why is the painful history of District Six being repeated under the banner of “development”?
This is not just a housing issue. It is a moral failure, a historical injustice and a continuation of displacement in a country that has yet to redress the injustices of the past in a city already facing an urgent housing crisis.
WE DEMAND ACTION NOW:
1. Stop the eviction of the District Six Searle Street Families NOW!
2. Allow the families to purchase their homes at a fair price
Reject the erasure of District Six history. Stop the ongoing cycle of forced removals.
District Six is not for sale. People above profit.
Upcoming Events in Solidarity that you can get involved in:
* 4 February 2026 at 17:30 @D6 Museum– Rent Control Group Workshop on the Rental Housing Crisis in Cape Town.
* 7 February 2026 at 14:00 @ Cissie Gool House Hall– SaveSearleStreet Campaign supported by the Umbrella Civic ward 57+, Rent Control Group, Walmer Estate Civic Association and Reclaim the City will host a Learning, Banner and Poster making session ahead of the Mid-February Solidarity Picnic Event (SAVE SEARLE STREET RESIDENTS). Please keep an eye out on our social media for further updates. Come and learn about what is happening to the residents and the housing crisis more broadly
* 14 February 2026 at 15:00- SAVE SEARLE STREET SOLIDARITY PICNIC EVENT @ Searle Street Park ** (Supported by the Umbrella Civic ward 57+, Rent Control Group, Walmer Estate Civic Association and Reclaim the City). Come and support the residents of Searle Street in their fight against evictions. We will communicate the demand and how you can assist. Please keep an eye out on our social media below.
Website: SaveSearleStreet
Instagram: @save_searle
Substack: [@savesearlestreet ](https://substack.com/@savesearlestreet)