Mitchell’s Plain residents are rallying against the relocation of the Central line railway squatters to their outskirts, along Jakes Gerwel Drive.
They have enlisted campaigns “Save Mitchell’s Plain” and “I am Mitchell’s Plain” since last week, firstly during a public meeting at West End Primary School in Lentegeur on Wednesday August 31 and virtual social media videos telling local, provincial and national governments that they would not be “side-lined”.
In a media statement dated Sunday September 5 they demanded a meeting with mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, mayoral committee member for human settlements Malusi Booi, Mitchell’s Plain councillors, MEC for Infrastructure Tertuis Simmers and the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) within 48 hours.
Activist Shahiem van Nelson, from Woodlands, in the statement, said: “Nothing for Mitchell’s Plain without Mitchell’s Plain”.
“Many residents expressed their concerns regarding safety, the current challenges within existing informal settlements and this relocation would further exacerbate the problem of limited resources, infrastructure and housing for Mitchell’s Plain residents,” he said.
The land parcel in Weltevreden Wedge, in Philippi Horticultural Area (PHA), in Ward 43 in Mitchell’s Plain Sub-council 17, has been reserved for the relocation of Phase 1, that is Langa occupants and 1 254 occupants who have been enumerated and are planned to be moved to this land parcel.
A City of Cape Town statement last week said they played a small role in the Prasa Central line relocation project, which was listed as a “Presidential Priority Project”.
The municipality is the planning authority for planning applications, responsible for the delivery of basic services to the relocated community once funding for these services has been provided by national government.
Prasa has appointed the Housing Development Agency (HDA), as the implementing agent, and has been working with the national departments of Transport and Human Settlements for the past two years.
The meeting included various Mitchell’s Plain community leaders and activists.
Tafelsig resident Reva Fortune, whose grandson lives in Lentegeur, said: “If Mitchell’s Plain is on your heart you will get up and do something.
“His grandma can get up and do something because it is not his job to do that,” she said.
Ms Fortune said all Mitchell’s Plain residents should take a stand as “right now is our time”.
Chairman of the elders council of the Mitchell’s Plain Aboriginal Khoi and San council Mike van Rooy said the issue was land.
“We can only fight as one nation. I own the land. I am Khoi San. I’m an aboriginal and son of the soil. This is forced assimilation,” he said.
Adding her voice, Portland resident Gael Reagon, said: “For so long we have not spoken as individuals or as a community. Let’s have patience with each other. Laat almal se goeters ma uitkom ons gaan stabilise. We are going to get into a groove,” she said.
Lentegeur Community Police Forum (CPF) chairman, Byrone de Villiers, said the relocation brought along safety concerns.
“SAPS services are already stretched and this is going to be a problem.
“There has been no engagement, what is their safety plan?
“There is no regard for the safety of Mitchell’s Plain and we need to find a way forward,” he said.
Mario Oostendurp, chairman of Strandfontein Ratepayers’ Association, explained their challenges with the draft framework plan for erf 1212 in Strandfontein, where the City planned to build 750 houses (“Housing plans marred by ‘mistrust’”, Plainsman, July 20).
HDA communication and marketing officer,Katlego Moselakgomo, said that a multi-stakeholder meeting held in 2020, including the City, provincial departments of Human Settlements, Transport, Public Works and Infrastructure, Prasa, the national Department of Human Settlements and the HDA resolved that vacant land within five to 15km be identified for the relocation of occupants of the Central line.
“The outcome of the resolution was a report by the CoCT (City) on the land identification for relocation purpose,” he said.
The criteria outlined in the report has been continuously applied in the land identification process for the purpose of the relocation programme.
Mr Moselakgomo said there was a limited supply of vacant land that would be large enough to accommodate the number of occupants to be relocated within the criteria outlined.
The HDA was appointed to attend to the relocation of informal settlements that have illegally occupied sections of the Central line so that it can be rendered functional again.
“This was done following a successful application to the Western Cape High Court and Prasa obtained a court order for the lawful relocation of affected communities.
“There were other land parcels that were identified and purposed for the relocation of Phase 1 occupants; however, agreements were not reached with the various private landowners,“ he said.
He said that the HDA followed all consultation protocols required at various stages of the relocation to ensure that the process was as inclusive as possible and to guarantee that all stakeholders, including beneficiaries as well as receiving communities, were well informed before each of the phases of the project could commence.
The relocation of Phase 1 occupants is due to be conducted by November 30 as planned in line with the current court order.
An official date of the relocation for the Phase 2, Philippi and Khayelitsha, occupants at this stage has not yet been established, as the process of land acquisition is a pre-requisite to the commencement of any statutory processes.
The process of land acquisition of the Macassar land parcels for Phase 2 of the Central line relocation project is at the negotiation stage between the respective landowners and the HDA.
Consultation processes for Phase 1 have commenced and were at an advanced stage.
Mr Moselakgomo said the HDA had not yet commenced the consultation with the receiving communities of Mitchell’s Plain, as it must be preceded by approvals as per Section 68 of the City of Cape Town Planning By-Laws by the City of Cape Town Metro.
“The approval has not yet been granted to the HDA,” he said.