Bellville – 1977, 78 Unibell Squatters
The crisis began in 1977, when city officials called for all squatters at Unibell (in Bellville South) to leave their homes, for they would be demolished.
More than 2 000 huts and 15 000 people were to be driven from their homes. These unfortunate people, most of whom were from Transkei, were given absolutely nothing and told to leave as soon as possible.
In reply, the squatters claimed to have nowhere to go.
Meanwhile, sicknesses were common in Unibell due to no sewage and waste removal programmes and diseases threatened to spread far beyond the humble borders of the squatter camp known as Unibell. Squatters continued ignoring warning/notice letters handed to them by administration officials. What could they do? Some of them had stayed in Unibell for more than six years and claimed that they would rather die in the dirt than leave their shacks. (The Argus, 10 August 1977)
Krisis – Plakkers het verdubbel!
Sedert Julie verlede jaar het die getal swart plakkers in die Kaapse Skiereiland met meer as 51 000 verdubbel. (Die Burger, 7 Julie 1977)
Lugfoto van Unibell-plakkerskamp – regs bo is Sacks-sirkel-nywerheidsgebied en links-bo die Universiteit van Wes-Kaapland. Op die agtergrond is Parow en Bellville. (Die Burger, 13 Januarie 1978)
Demolition workers move in with bulldozers, destroying a once thriving community of 10 000 people who are now forced to find shelter elsewhere. Huddled families, hungry and confused, stood around as a devastating scene of raging fires destroyed their shacks. (The Argus, 17 January 1978)