Belhar residents fight against land sale, advocating for serviced plots and educational development
Members of the Plot and Plan Committee Belhar and residents have lodged more than 300 objections to the proposed sale and development of Erf 27661.
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More than 300 objections have been filed against the City of Cape Town's proposal to sell and develop Erf 27661 in Belhar.
Residents are demanding that the land be designated for serviced residential plots instead of being allocated for an affordable housing project.
The objections were submitted during the public participation process related to the City's proposed disposal and development of the property, with tender submissions for the project set to close on May 18.
At the centre of the opposition is the Plot and Plan Committee Belhar, which argues that the land should remain in public hands and should be used to provide serviced sites to residents in need of housing opportunities.
Committee chairperson Darryl Nel has urged the City to halt the disposal process, citing national housing legislation and policy frameworks which he says support the provision of serviced residential plots as part of housing delivery.
"Disposal of land without ensuring serviced plots undermines constitutional housing rights," Nel said in correspondence submitted to the City.
He argued that the Integrated Residential Development Programme (IRDP) and the Housing Act place an obligation on municipalities to facilitate access to serviced sites and basic services as part of sustainable housing development.
Nel said residents had continued to submit objection forms opposing the proposed development.
The committee is also calling for direct engagement with City officials.
The City's plans for the site were announced on April 22 when it opened a tender for the sale and development of Erf 27661 as part of its Affordable Housing Programme.
In a statement released at the time, Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements Councillor Carl Pophaim, said the project formed part of the City's accelerated land release programme aimed at creating affordable housing opportunities on well-located land across Cape Town.
"The latest tender for a Belhar property presents an opportunity to develop homes targeted at homebuyers," Pophaim said.
According to the City, the proposed development would include a mix of First Home Finance housing and affordable ownership opportunities for low-and moderate-income households earning below the programme's monthly income threshold of R34 000.
The municipality said feasibility modelling undertaken by appointed consultants indicated the site could potentially yield approximately 400 housing opportunities, subject to final planning approvals and design requirements.
Responding to concerns raised by the Belhar group, Councillor Angus McKenzie Joshua said the City had prioritised the site for gap housing because of significant demand from residents, who fall outside the criteria for fully subsidised Breaking New Ground (BNG) housing.
Joshua said the project was aimed at assisting households often referred to as the "missing middle", residents who earn too much to qualify for a free housing opportunity but not enough to secure conventional home finance.
He added that the City had engaged extensively with the Western Cape Education Department regarding land requirements for schools and educational facilities.
Joshua said the City acknowledged residents' concerns but maintained that elected representatives were required to make decisions that balanced competing needs across communities.