Cape Town – The development of the much-anticipated Denis Goldberg House of Hope (DGHOH) had been held back by the City’s red tape and lack of communication, he said.
The House of Hope is intended to be an arts and culture education centre for Imizamo Yethu and Hangberg youth.
A few years ago, the Rivonia Trialist, who is now aged 86, established the Denis Goldberg Legacy Foundation Trust.
The trust’s primary objective is to contribute to a better life for the children and youth of Hout Bay, where Goldberg has lived for the last 15 years.
The trust told the Cape Times Goldberg had contributed both his waning energy and his own money to the trust, and together with others had raised millions for his cause.
The main project of the trust is the House of Hope. The trust said the provincial Department of Arts and Culture and the Hout Bay Museum had entered into a formal agreement with it specifying that the DGHOH could be situated on the grounds of the museum.
Phase 1 of the project included a gallery that would house both Goldberg’s large, vibrant art collection and an exhibition on his life. The museum’s board of trustees approved Phase 1 early this year.
In April, a few days after Goldberg’s 86th birthday, a joint ceremony was held to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the museum and the turning of the first sod for the DGHOH.
At this point, the trust had raised more than the R3 million needed for the construction and fitting out of the DGHOH through public fund-raising efforts.
The trust said it was informed by the City in May that there would need to be a consent-use process, despite the fact that the new buildings would be used for similar purposes as the existing buildings on the museum site.
In June, the trust submitted drawings for approval for the consolidation of the four erven making up the museum site, and council consent in terms of municipal planning by-laws.
After due process, and by October 16, the City had received one objection to the development, the trust said.
The objection, which the Cape Times has seen, raised issue with, among others, noise pollution, neighbours losing their view, and that crimes including car/house break-ins and muggings would
increase in the area.
On November 7, the objection was withdrawn and the trust said since then it had received no communication from the City.
When the project was described to the trust, several government officials had expressed their support and said they would assist if any difficulties arose, but that support had not been forthcoming.
“What’s causing frustration and heartbreak is the time it is taking for what should be a simple approval,” the trust said.
Goldberg, who was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in 2017, had survived only through his will to see the DGHOH bricks in place, the trust said.
City spokesperson Luthando Tyhalibongo said: “The application is currently in the land-use management application process. We can confirm that no building plan application was submitted.”
The City did not respond to questions on delays or when the development would come to fruition.
The trust‘s Debbie Budlender said they were not informed that they should make further submissions.
She understood that it was an internal process, with officials passing the application to other officials for approval. The hold-up was due to the City’s own, unexplained delays, she said.