Two University of Cape Town students are still living in a tent and vehicle in a campus parking lot after the university’s latest court bid to remove them failed.

The students, Lwazi van Staden and Mveliso Kraai, have been staying in a parking area near UCT’s hockey fields since December. Their belongings were placed there after an earlier eviction order was carried out.

The Western Cape High Court has now ruled that UCT must bring fresh eviction proceedings under the Prevention of Illegal Eviction and Unlawful Occupation of Land Act, known as the PIE Act.

Students Say Eviction Could Leave Them Homeless

Van Staden and Kraai told the court that both of their parents had died and that they had no home to return to.

They argued that removing them from the parking lot would put them at immediate risk of homelessness.

Their case follows a longer dispute linked to UCT’s Philip Kgosana Residence, also known as PK residence.

In June 2025, the Western Cape High Court granted eviction orders against five students who had been living at the residence. They were ordered to leave by 31 August 2025.

That deadline was later extended to 20 December 2025.

Dispute Kinked to PK Residence Closure

The matter began after UCT offered students accommodation in Mowbray for the 2024 academic year. The university said PK residence would be decommissioned to deal with maintenance issues.

When the students did not leave by the extended deadline, the Sheriff carried out the eviction order.

Three of the five students involved in the earlier case have since found alternative accommodation. Van Staden and Kraai remain in the parking lot.

UCT Considering Next Steps

UCT has not yet confirmed what it will do next.

University spokesperson Elijah Moholola said UCT noted the Western Cape High Court judgment.

“The university will consider the ruling and then determine its next steps in light of the court’s findings,” Moholola said.

For now, the students remain on campus while the university weighs its legal options. The ruling means UCT cannot rely on the previous eviction order to remove them from the parking lot.