Decision to protect Philippi agricultural land lauded

File photo: David Ritchie/African News Agency/ANA

File photo: David Ritchie/African News Agency/ANA

Published May 29, 2018

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Advocates for the preservation of the Philippi Horticultural Area (PHA) on the Cape Flats have hailed a decision to protect a portion of the agricultural land instead of using it for urban development.

The PHA Campaign, which represents 67 organisations, had appealed to the City of Cape Town not to rezone and had argued that while other farmers in the Western Cape have suffered production losses during the drought, Philippi farmers have not. 

The City upheld the appeal and director for development Mark Collison signed the document stating the matter had now been “concluded”.

The campaign, which is legally challenging nine development permissions for four developments and a sand mine in the PHA, argued that the area had an annual turnover of R484 million directly and R938m indirectly, with the immediate potential to increase this to R848m and R1.6billion respectively.

PHA Campaign chairperson Nazeer Sonday said the decision was a mini-victory for those who had been involved in the process.

“The PHA Campaign is very pleased to receive notice that our appeal against a rezoning of 96hectares of land in the PHA from agriculture to urban development has been upheld.

"The unanimous decision indicates some change of heart on the part of the City on preserving the PHA for farming. While there is still a long way to go, we regard this as a mini-victory for all communities engaging in due process,” Sonday said.

Sonday added that they were still concerned that Uvest - against whom the appeal was made - also has an application to build a shopping centre and a private school on cultivated land on another section of the area.

The City said it had inspected the area on May 11 and noted that the land was worthy of conservation as a landscape heritage resource. 

The City said the rezoning of the agricultural land for urban development had an adverse effect on people’s rights.

Economic Opportunities MEC Alan Winde said they welcomed the City's decision.

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