Cape Town -
The placing of boulders on a field near the Trafalgar Pool in Woodstock to stop “formal” soccer games over weekends has outraged residents.
And the furore has become worse since Xcollective, a creative collaboration involved in public art projects, has placed a “non-poor only” sticker on a City of Cape Town sign restricting the use of the field.
The city placed boulders on the field earlier this year following complaints that established soccer clubs were using the site on weekends for formal games.
Xcollective placed the sticker on the sign in protest. It is one of several stickers pasted in places where residents are “still evicted, victimised, discriminated against or being denied access to services and amenities based on our socio-economic status”, it said on its official website.
“The area is an open public space used by residents of Woodstock and Walmer Estate. As usual residents were neither consulted nor informed of the decision and many believe the area is being targeted by property developers… responsible for recent evictions in the surrounding area.”
But Belinda Walker, mayoral committee member for community services and special projects, said the boulders were a response to complaints about cars driving on to the grass and the space being used for formal soccer games by clubs outside Walmer Estate and Woodstock.
“These users restrict others from having access to the green space, as well as heavily damaging the grassed area.
“This is a green space to be enjoyed by communities, especially little ones. There are sports fields available for formal soccer games at various municipal sports fields in the area, such as the Shelley Street and Queens Park sports fields. We need to balance the demand on our open spaces to ensure that all people have access to green spaces that cater to their recreational needs.”
Moosa Sydow, head of the Woodstock Community Policing Forum and Walmer Estate Residents’ Association, said certain privileges were being catered to by the city. “Putting rocks there is a signal to say you can’t come on here.”
The area was being “plundered” by developers. The boulders would eventually destroy the land, making it unusable and paving the way for the city to make the land available to developers.
Meanwhile, social media commentators weighed in on the matter.
One said: “This is modern day land (invasion). The City of Cape Town believes that it’s better for kids to get involved in gangsterism, drugs and violence as opposed to recreational activities such as soccer, rugby, cricket on grounds initially created for this cause, going back generations.”
Another said: “Maybe we should put the rocks in the middle of the Camps Bay Bowling Club.”
One suggested a barrier along the perimeter of the field.
“And if formal soccer games are a problem, why not issue a fine for those offending parties? Instead (the city) is just punishing everyone by dumping rocks?… I hope someone trips over your rocks and sues you.”
Many agreed with Xcollective that the poor were marginalised by the city’s policies.
One wrote: “The point here is that they are forcing poor people to move their soccer games to places where they have to pay for it. That land belongs to the community that uses it. Cape Town has no right to arbitrarily take soccer away from those people unless they are also providing a free, dedicated pitch in the vicinity.”
Walker said boulders were a temporary measure until fencing or bollards could be put up – depending on budget availability.
Cape Argus