VAN DER WESTHUIZEN J
of Appeal set aside the High Court‘s structural interdict. The compensation order
awarded in favour of Blue Moonlight was also set aside.11 The Supreme Court of
Appeal upheld the eviction order and ordered the Occupiers to vacate the premises by
1 June 2011. It declared the City‘s housing policy unconstitutional to the extent that it
excluded the Occupiers from consideration for temporary housing. It also required the
City to provide the Occupiers with ―temporary emergency accommodation‖.
[14] In this Court the City applies for leave to appeal against those parts of the
Supreme Court of Appeal‘s order that declared its housing policy unconstitutional and
ordered it to provide accommodation to the Occupiers. The Occupiers oppose the
City‘s application for leave to appeal. They also apply for conditional leave to crossappeal, seeking that any order of eviction be linked to the provision of suitable
alternative accommodation by the City and that a structural interdict be granted
against the City to ensure that it takes appropriate steps to remedy its housing policy.
Blue Moonlight filed a notice to abide, but made submissions to this Court relating to
its rights in relation to the property.
Leave to appeal
[15] The applications for leave to appeal and to cross-appeal raise constitutional
issues relating to the interpretation of PIE, the constitutionality of the City‘s policy
11
Above n 3 at paras 69-71. The Supreme Court of Appeal found this case to be factually distinguishable from
Modderfontein Squatters, Greater Benoni City Council v Modderklip Boerdery (Pty) Ltd (Agri SA and Legal
Resources Centre, amici curiae); President of the Republic of South Africa and Others v Modderklip Boerdery
(Pty) Ltd (Agri SA and Legal Resources Centre, amici curiae) 2004 (6) SA 40 (SCA) (Modderfontein), where
the eviction order had been already granted but ignored by the unlawful occupiers, the state had failed to assist
the landowner to execute the eviction order, and the private landowner was the innocent victim of a land
invasion rather than the purchaser of occupied land.
7