Cape Town – A two-week extension of the public-participation process which involves the contentious multimillion-rand Tafelberg site, has been met with outrage by Sea Point domestic workers and activists, who accused the provincial government of delaying tactics.
The provincial Department of Transport and Public Works confirmed the extension granted “following a request by an interested party”.
Protesters, who were on Wednesday joined by activist and co-founder of the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), Zackie Achmat, as well as members from lobby group Ndifuna Ukwazi, bemoaned the extension, saying all parties involved have had enough time to peruse documents, or other information regarding the financial model.
The Tafelberg property, which had been sold to the Phyllis Jowell Jewish Day School in Camps Bay for R135 million last year, is in a tug of war between the provincial government and social justice movements, who have called for the land to be used for affordable housing.
The department published the financial model for input on November 18 after a Western Cape High Court ruling that the sale of the property be stopped and a public-participation process be carried out. That process was meant to expire on Tuesday.
“We would’ve then been one step closer in finding out whether or not there’ll finally be affordable housing in Sea Point,” Thandeka Sisusa from Reclaim the City said on Wednesday.
“We don’t agree with the postponement and we don’t want to listen to what they have to say because they don’t listen to us. Enough is enough now. It’s us who feel the pain of having no home, not them because they have luxury lives.:
“We are struggling and we don’t want to wait until February 15.”
The financial model had been published to test the viability of social housing on the property. “This is an unnecessary delay to a final decision on the future of the Tafelberg site,” Ndifuna Ukwazi spokesperson Emile Engel said.
“Sea Point’s domestic workers and other black and coloured low-income earners, have struggled for many years for decent, affordable, state-subsidised housing in their home community. They have waited patiently and engaged constructively during the unfolding process towards province’s decision on whether the Tafelberg site would be reserved for affordable housing."
“But their patience is now running thin.” Sea Point domestic Sheila Madikane said: “They promised us the 30th (of January) and as Reclaim the City we want them to stick to their word."
“We don’t want to wait any longer. We want our answers and we are not going anywhere. They can do what they want, we’re not going...”
Another protester, Joanne Louw, said: “I’ve been staying in Sea Point for over a decade now and working as a domestic worker. We’d also like to be accommodated in the city centre.”
Engel said Reclaim the City supporters worked tirelessly to complete a community submission, which included feedback from many Sea Point residents and low-income earners in the area.
He said the submission had already been delivered to the department “on Monday, the date of the original deadline”.
“Yet, at the request of the prospective purchaser of the Tafelberg property, who argued that it had not had enough time to study the financial model, province agreed to extend the submissions deadline by two weeks.”
Provincial Transport and Public Works spokesperson Siphesihle Dube said: “Once the comment period has closed on February 15, the comments will then be presented to cabinet for consideration in making their final decision.”