More than 100 residents of the Joe Slovo informal settlement in Langa will travel from Cape Town to Johannesburg today to attend the Constitutional Court appeal against the forced removal of 20 000 of their community.

The residents said they were prepared to sleep “on the steps of the Constitutional Court” ahead of the case on Thursday.

The Joe Slovo community has lived next to Cape Town’s N2 highway for about 18 years.

Three years ago the provincial and national housing department were awarded an eviction order against the residents to make way for the “N2 Gateway” housing project.

The Legal Resources Centre lost an appeal against the eviction order in the Cape high court last December .

Thubelisha Homes project, which was to construct the houses with FNB, has since been declared bankrupt.

Joe Slovo task team leader Mzwanele Zulu says the community wants free RDP houses in Joe Slovo.

“Many residents only survive by doing casual work in the city centre and nearby suburbs, and at the Epping Fresh Produce Market,” he said .

Justin de Allende, head of the provincial ministry of housing, refused to comment.