[12] It has been called an informal settlement by city of Cape Town officials despite its formal structure being built by the government.

[17] NGOs, international human rights organisations, and the Anti-Eviction Campaign have publicly criticised the conditions in Blikkiesdorp and how they say it is used to reinforce the eviction of poor families especially to make way for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

[20] Ahead of the 2010 World Cup the British anti-poverty charity War on Want created a virtual model of Blikkiesdorp featuring videos of residents talking about conditions in the settlement.

[21] Blikkiesdorp has also been compared with the alien camp called District 9 from the international hit movie on numerous occasions.

[27][28][29] They have also been accused of gratuitous violence against innocent bystanders during drug raids and turning the settlement into a concentration camp.