Cape Town is ready to provide emergency housing kits to illegal shack dwellers evicted earlier in the week, mayor Patricia de Lille said on Friday.

“Cape Town is the only metro in South Africa to have developed enhanced kits of this nature and that is able to deploy them at short notice,” she said.

Over 200 kits had been ready for distribution since Friday morning, but the city was waiting for the SA National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) and national government to choose an alternative site for relocation.

Around 846 families living on Sanral land next to the N2 highway in Lwandle were evicted on Monday and Tuesday because of an interim court order.

Their shacks were demolished and set alight. Many lost their personal possessions and were left with nothing but the clothes they were wearing.

The city would accommodate and feed residents at the Nomzamo community hall in Strand until Sunday.

Sanral offered to move the residents to a piece of land it owned as a more permanent solution.

On Thursday, Human Settlements Minister Lindiwe Sisulu said a blame-game had played out the last few days between Sanral and the city.

De Lille said the city had proactively provided help to residents.

“In my letter to the minister [Sisulu], I have noted a discussion I had with her late yesterday [Thursday], confirming that the national government will cover the costs of the approximately 235 kits that will be made available,” the mayor said.

“The city has to be compliant with all legislation impacting on local government and in this instance it means recovering the costs of the provision of the starter kits in question.”

Sisulu said on Thursday the cost of helping the group would be recouped from an emergency fund which the national government allocated to provincial.

“We are busy working out the exact numbers and once we are done we will be able to tell you.” SAPA