You may find yourself in a situation where you have received an eviction order from the court and the date on the order for your eviction is tomorrow (or very soon), but you are still living in the property in question. Many people for a number of reasons don’t do anything to prepare for an eviction thinking that if hey simply refuse to move then they cannot be evicted. 

1. Phone the Sheriff to check if they have a warrant of ejectment yet (if it’s after the eviction date)

2. Store your belongings

Learn more about how the Sheriff executes an eviction here.

3. Look for alternative accommodation

According to the law, your local municipality has to provide you with alternative accommodation if being evicted will make you homeless. Go to your local housing office and tell them that you have no other options and that you need emergency housing.

See a list of shelters in the Western Cape here.

See a list of Cape Town housing offices here.

If you feel that your eviction was unlawful you should go speak to a lawyer and get their legal opinion on making an appeal. Legal Aid and other law clinics are only likely to take your case if they think there is a good chance that you were unlawfully evicted. If you weren’t paying rent, and there wasn’t a very good legal reason for this, then it is unlikely they will help you make an appeal.

Learn more about appeals here and learn more about finding legal advice here.