DA-run City of Cape Town faces fresh accusations of 'land grab'

Controversy surrounding the City of Cape Town’s planned land auction this week has intensified, with a broad coalition of Indigenous bodies, civic organisations, traditional councils and political groupings announcing plans to oppose the sale through legal action and mass mobilisation — alongside a formal constitutional notice recently served by the Oedasoa Cochoqua Royal Kingdom.

In a statement on Sunday, the coalition described the auction as a “neocolonial land grab” and a “slap in the face” to poor and landless communities, arguing that valuable public land is being prioritised for private development rather than social need.

“We, the people of South Africa from all walks of life, united in our diversity, oppose this auction because it will further harm those who were dispossessed and displaced during colonial conquest and apartheid, and benefit those with money and power. We oppose the sale of these lands and properties, and condemn the sale as a second District Six removal,” the coalition said.

The coalition alleges that meaningful public participation has not taken place and contends that communities were not adequately informed of the proposed disposals. It said it intends launching an urgent legal challenge, including seeking an interdict to halt the auction while broader legal and constitutional questions are addressed.

The group has also called for a mass mobilisation at the Good Hope Centre at 8.30am on Tuesday — two days before the scheduled auction — urging residents to demonstrate what it describes as widespread public opposition.

An urgent interdict was previously brought before the Cape Town High Court by the Southern African Aboriginal Congress. That application was dismissed, although an application for leave to appeal is currently under way, according to the coalition.

Alongside the coalition’s mobilisation, the Oedasoa Cochoqua Royal Kingdom has formally challenged the auction through a constitutional notice served on the City.

The Kingdom alleges that the auction infringes on constitutional protections, including equality, property and cultural rights. It argues that all land within the City falls within Cochoqua ancestral territory and that disposal of such land without structured Indigenous engagement raises serious constitutional concerns.

The Kingdom has called for a moratorium on the auction; the establishment of a Structured Indigenous Land Engagement Forum; the development of a Framework for Indigenous Land Participation; alignment of municipal processes with principles of Free, Prior and Informed Consent under international law; redress for historical dispossession; inclusion in decision-making affecting Indigenous territories; compensation for economic value derived from the sale of traditionally owned land; and the ringfencing of 10% of auction proceeds into a Cochoqua Restorative Development Fund.

In previous correspondence with the City, the Kingdom also requested that a Community Upliftment Centre be established and funded by the municipality but managed by the Kingdom, that certain properties be transferred into its ownership, and that Indigenous contractors from its community be utilised in related development projects.

“We are not opposing lawful land development; we are insisting that the voices of the Indigenous custodians of this land be heard and respected,” said Noel Joseph, High Commissioner of the Oedasoa Cochoqua Royal Kingdom.

Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth, James Vos, confirmed that the City received the constitutional notice and said engagement with the Kingdom had been ongoing.

“It is important to note that the City’s Economic Growth Directorate has been consistently engaging with the Oedasoa Cochoqua Royal Kingdom in good faith over the past month, answering their questions and addressing concerns related to the auction,” Vos said.

Vos said the Land Claims Commission had confirmed that none of the properties listed for auction are subject to pending land claims, according to Vos.

“The City is obligated to act within the prevailing statutory process for the disposal of its assets that are no longer required for municipal purposes, that process being constitutionally compliant unless a court determines otherwise, which is not the case in this matter,” Vos said.

On consultation, Vos said the statutory process applied to all residents of Cape Town and that there is no legal obligation to consult exclusively with one group regarding municipal asset disposals.

The auction includes approximately 50 residential, commercial and industrial properties across the metro, totalling about 282,000m² of land. The City has described the release of sites, including the Good Hope Centre precinct, as a strategic opportunity to unlock economic potential and reinvest revenue into service delivery.

Despite mounting opposition and planned legal action, the City has confirmed that the auction will proceed this week.

Get your news on the go, click here to join the Cape Argus News WhatsApp channel.

Cape Argus