The Khayelitsha Traditional Forum (KTF) has slammed the City for “undermining” the centuries-old Xhosa tradition of circumcision following a proposal to sell land which has been used for the practice.
The City wants to sell the 2.2 hectares of land, situated on the corner of Spine Road and Mew Way in Khayelitsha, for R4.5million to a private developer who aims to construct a seven-storey high-rise building.
The total proposed bulk is about 88698m².
As the initiation season officially opens next week, with some already undergoing the passage to manhood, the forum says it was not consulted on the move until May this year.
The KTF says it will continue using the land until the provincial government finds alternative land.
KTF chairperson Thobile Mtotywa has described the issue as a “battlefield” for culture and big business investments. Mtotywa runs a traditional circumcision school on the land and fears initiation in Khayelitsha and surrounding areas is under threat.
He said the land was vital for the practice of the Xhosa tradition.
“We prevented back yarders from invading that land and explained to them the land’s purpose, and they understand,” said Mtotywa.
He said the forum had been called to a meeting last month and told of the plans. “It was too late because they have already taken a decision without us having to object,” he said,
“We came to know about the intentions to sell the land months after the decision was taken, which does not sit well with us. We feel we are being undermined,” Mtotywa added.
The City said its health department would assist the KTF with a reservation of the ultimate chosen site.
Khayelitsha Development Forum (KDF) chairperson Ndithini Tyhido said the KDF was vehemently opposed to the City forging ahead with its plan at the expense of tradition.
“We wish the City would consult with the community instead of its tendency of approaching certain interest groups when doing public participations. They leave the community out,” he said.
Mayco member for assets and facilities management Stuart Diamond said the City had identified the issue of selling the land “as a culturally sensitive matter”.
“We have endeavoured to work with the relevant interest group to come up with an amicable solution,” he said.
Diamond said the KTF had been informed that the City had commenced with the approval process to dispose of the land for commercial development purposes during a meeting held on May 19.
“At the meeting, all parties reached a mutual agreement that the KTF would identify three possible alternative sites to establish an initiation school in the Khayelitsha area,” Diamond said.
He added that so far the City had advertised its intention for public comment. A report was submitted to the relevant subcouncils for notification.
A letter dated November 2, 2016, which was written by Marco Geretto of the City’s spatial planning and urban design department, states that while it is possible for the property to be developed as a shopping centre, the City should be promoting commercial development that is in line with the Cape Town development framework and with transit development principles.
Geretto said the land was 1.5km from the Khayelitsha CBD, and if it were to be developed as a shopping centre, it would absorb significant retail demand within the area, which would further undermine the viability of the shopping centre in the CBD.
“In this light the City should be protecting those developments that support good urban form and that are well located in terms of access to public transport and not be releasing land that could undermine development,” said Geretto.