Cape Town - The Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers’ Union (Sactwu) is expected to approach the Western Cape High Court on Monday to stop the city council from turning the Good Hope Centre into a film a studio.
The union has applied for an urgent interdict to restrain the council from making any changes to the 40-year-old venue.
Sactwu says changes to the layout and structure of the centre have already begun and if allowed to continue, would be irreversible and render the space unusable to the public.
Sactwu also wants the city council to be prohibited from entering into a new lease with anybody other than with a member of the public for a short function and that the council be prevented from allowing any other person from making changes to the building.
The interim interdict is being sought for three months to give Sactwu, the Bo Kaap Ratepayers and Civic Association, the Cape Malay Choir Board and the District Six Working Committee time to prepare another court application to review the city council’s decision to make the Good Hope Centre a private venue.
Monday’s court action follows a more than year-long battle between Sactwu and other civic groups who are opposed to the city’s intention to lease the Good Hope Centre as a film studio for the next three years.
Mayco member for tourism, events and economic development Garreth Bloor confirmed on Sunday night, that the city council intended to oppose Sactwu’s interdict application.
The city council held a briefing meeting with potential bidders last month in preparation for issuing a tender after council approval was granted in March.
The council said the centre had fallen into disrepair which would cost R16 million to fix and was only generating revenue of about R3 million a year.
Last July, the city council entered into a short-term lease with a film company to use the venue as a film studio, extending the lease until March this year, and putting the centre off limits to community groups who have been using the venue for decades.
Sactwu had used the venue for the annual Spring Queen Pageant.
In court papers, the union said it had hosted its 40th pageant at the Athlone Stadium last November under protest because it had no other choice.
It was far from public transport and attendees had been robbed at knifepoint.
The Cape Malay Choir Board held its annual singing competition at the Bellville Velodrome over the weekend having used the Good Hope Centre in every year, except on two occasions since 1978.
People were turned away from attending earlier rounds of the competition last month, because the City Hall could not accommodate them.
In an affidavit filed with the court, Sactwu co-ordinator Fachmy Abrahams said civic groups who supported the union had not joined the interdict application due to the urgency of the matter. There had not been enough time for them to hold meetings to take a formal resolution.
Abrahams said the city council’s decision to close the Good Hope Centre had affected the hosting of the Spring Queen Pageant as part of its “Buy Local” campaign.
When held at the Good Hope Centre, it had attracted up to 10 000 people.
In 2014, only half this number of attendees could be accommodated because the mezzanine level had been closed off.
“It is the only facility of its sort near the heart of the city and has always been in great demand.
“Over the years it became the venue of choice for large cultural and social events among the citizens of Cape Town,” said Abrahams.
He alleged that the mayor had ignored a memorandum of demands from workers in April 2015 to initiate a public participation process for citizens to decide on the centre’s future.
The matter was then referred to the CCMA for arbitration.
Abrahams contends that the union learnt through hearsay in August 2015 that the centre would be leased as a film studio.
“The decision to lease out the centre was taken without due concern for the rights and expectations of the public in general and the applicant in particular, and without proper consultation with the interested parties,” Abrahams said in his affidavit.
Since there was already a film studio in Cape Town, Sactwu said it was not necessary to close a public facility for this purpose.
Cape Argus