Cape Town disputes legal bid to block municipal land release

The City of Cape Town has announced it will oppose an application by the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) to block the release of 49 municipal properties. These sites are earmarked for residential, commercial, and industrial development, including 28 residential-zoned sites intended to address housing demand in areas such as Mitchells Plain, Maitland, and Goodwood.

Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis criticized the SAHRC's legal action, suggesting the timing appears to be “electioneering” ahead of local government elections. The City maintains that the land release program, which includes public participation and auction processes, is designed to put undeveloped land to productive use and support affordable housing initiatives.

Separately, housing activists have raised concerns regarding the City's affordable housing strategy. Following a Constitutional Court ruling in the Tafelberg case, which mandates that the City and Western Cape government redress apartheid spatial planning, activists argue that the City's plan to use private developer cross-subsidies may exclude the lowest-income families. They have called for national government oversight, citing a breakdown in coordination between different spheres of government.