Advocacy groups Reclaim the City and Ndifuna Ukwazi staged a protest in Sea Point on Saturday, intensifying their call for the Tafelberg site to be allocated for affordable housing ahead of a Constitutional Court hearing on the matter.
The groups have long demanded that the site, located along Sea Point’s Main Road, be released for social housing.
“We call for the Tafelberg site to be released for housing and demand a firm commitment from the government to ensure that the land is used to address the pressing need for affordable housing in Cape Town,” their statement read.
Their protest comes after the Western Cape Government announced plans to redevelop part of the plot for “social services”, including affordable housing.
READ MORE: WCG: Tafelberg site earmarked for social services, affordable housing not ruled out
The protest included a gathering at the Tafelberg site, followed by a screening of The Tafelberg Journey at the Sea Point Methodist Church, where participants discussed the legal arguments to be presented in court.
Provincial Infrastructure MEC, Tertius Simmers, condemned the protest, alleging that activists attempted to “illegally invade” the site.
“We have asked on numerous occasions that Reclaim the City work with us and not against us. Their actions are abhorrent, and a deliberate attempt to sabotage the redevelopment of this site. The fact that it was the very same Reclaim the City who was calling for more affordable housing in the metro in the first place, leaves a bitter taste in the mouth, and one cannot help to wonder whether they really have the best interest of our communities at heart, or whether this is politically motivated.”
Simmers also criticised opposition politicians, including ANC’s Khalid Sayed and Good’s Brett Herron, for attending the demonstration.
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Simmers further highlighted the financial burden of securing land from unlawful occupation, noting that since 2019, over R1 billion has been spent on safeguarding housing development sites.
“Public protest is a democratic right, but unlawful occupation impedes our efforts to provide affordable housing,” he stated.
The Tafelberg site case is scheduled to be heard in the Constitutional Court on Tuesday, 11 February 2025.
