Life's always a beach for Camps Bay squatters

Isaac and Sarah Jacobs wake up to postcard Camps Bay views every morning before playing cards on sandy white beaches - without the hassle of paying bills.

The couple are part of a group of about 30 squatters who have lived on the beach for up to 12 years, and have never budged from the scenic location.

Isaac Jacobs said they had been arrested "too many times to keep count".

The couple had been released every time, not long after they were detained.

The group spent the entire day on the beach and either spoke to each other to pass the time or played cards and dominoes, said Isaac Jacobs.

"Not the whole group is here all day, because some of them have jobs," he said.

Sarah Jacobs, who worked in Camps Bay before she was dismissed eight years ago, said they slept "wherever there is a spot" on the beach, especially near the rocks.

She said residents were unhappy that the group was living on the beach, but said they would not move until they had saved enough money to travel home.

"We were saving our money to go back to Beaufort West," she said. "Before, we didn't have money, but we have a bit now."

But the couple said they had decided to stay until they had settled a legal battle with the municipality.

They claim Metro Police officers took their clothes and other possessions when they were arrested two months ago, and did not return them.

"They can see we are struggling, but they still arrest us," said Isaac Jacobs, who is recovering from TB and a leg injury.

"All we have now is the clothes on our back.We just sit here peacefully. We don't take anything or steal, even though I am sick and can't work."

The Legal Resource Centre's Vincent Saldanha has represented the group and said the squatters had opened a case and were waiting for a reply from the City of Cape Town.

"We initially wrote a letter to the council, giving them a period of time to return the items, but they failed to do so," said Saldanha.

Marcia Schlesinger, a Camps Bay resident for 21 years, said Metro Police officers "abused" their powers by allegedly assaulting the squatters and people walking their dogs without leashes.

Src: Leila Samodien
This article was originally published on page 4 of Cape Argus on December 21, 2006