The Western Cape government is to use part of the contested Tafelberg site in Sea Point for affordable housing.
During a media briefing on Thursday (30 January), MEC of Infrastructure Tertuis Simmers outlined plans for the site, which has been the subject of court action since 2016 when the province announced that the site of the former remedial school would be sold to Phyllis Jowell Jewish Day School.
This was immediately opposed by housing activists, and the issue has been in and out of court since.
In April last year, the Supreme Court of Appeal ruled that the sale was lawful.
The Constitutional Court is due to hear an appeal against this ruling by housing activist organisations Ndifuna Ukwazi and Reclaim the City on 11 February.
Simmers said the provincial Social Development Department had formally requested that part of the site be used for a range of social services in the area instead of being sold.
Part of the site would be used for services and part for affordable housing, he said. He said he was confident that Constitutional Court judgment “will still enable us to utilise a portion of this site, once subdivided, for affordable housing”.
“Unlocking the development potential at the Tafelberg site for the delivery of much-needed social services and affordable housing, will result in the optimum use of this site by the government,” he said.
Western Cape MEC for Infrastructure Tertuis Simmers made the announcement on Thursday. Image: Matthew Hirsch/GroundUp
Simmers said that provincial government’s ability to deliver affordable housing had been “restricted due to illegal occupation, such as the orchestrated invasion of the Helen Bowden site, and funding constraints”.
Organisations spearheading occupation
In response to questions from GroundUp, Simmers said the provincial government had done market viability assessments “for our specific vision of an affordable housing programme”.
“There are certain processes which we will need to adhere to. One of them is public participation again.”
Speaking about Reclaim the City and Ndifuna Ukwazi, who spearheaded the occupation of the Helen Bowden Nurses Home and the Woodstock Hospital, and who have been calling for Tafelberg to be used for housing for more than a decade, Simmers said: “I say this with much respect for these organisations, but these organisations must always remember why they are there.
“They are not there to dictate to government. They had to put proposals on the table that must be sustainable.”
Western Cape MEC of Social Development Jaco Londt said his department intended to use the site to “broaden our social services footprint, particularly to address the shortage of residential services in the province for persons with disabilities, and older persons”.
“The department will be putting out a call for proposal for partnerships to ensure that we’re able to assist our most vulnerable residents.”
Members of Reclaim the City held a picket in the lobby of the legislature on Thursday. They have been calling for Tafelberg to be used for affordable housing for a decade. Image: Matthew Hirsch/GroundUp
Affordable housing is possible
Meanwhile, members of Reclaim the City held a picket at the provincial legislature on Thursday.
They said they were surprised that there was an announcement two weeks before a Constitutional Court case.
Sheila Madikane, who has lived in Sea Point since 1987 and now lives in Helen Bowden Nurses’ Home, said the Tafelberg site should have been used for affordable housing long ago.
“There are people in need of homes. That’s why there are a lot of homeless people outside.”
Buhle Booi, head of political organising at Ndifuna Ukwazi, said they had been trying to engage with the Department of Infrastructure for five years.
“We know that there were feasibility studies done to show that affordable housing was possible on that site. Those studies have been ignored by the department.”
Booi said Ndifuna Ukwazi was “shocked and disappointed” that the province had chosen to announce the Tafelberg plan through the media instead of engaging with people who stand to benefit from the site.
But, he said: “We are encouraged to see that a portion will be used for affordable housing.
“Sea Point is unaffordable for the majority of our people.”
Meanwhile, Disha Govender, head of Ndifuna Ukwazi Law Centre, called the province’s statement “vague” and said that they still need to understand what the plan is for mixed-use affordable housing and what the social development department planned.
“Truly affordable housing for the vulnerable is what we want to see,” she said.
She said they would continue to seek clarity from the Constitutional Court.
