A Collaborative Effort: The Relocation of Central Line Unlawful Occupants in Cape Town

The City of Cape Town, in collaboration with the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) and the Housing Development Agency (HDA), is actively working to relocate unlawful occupants along the central line. As the independent planning authority, the City’s impartial role is to oversee the application process under the Municipal Planning By-Law and provide basic services for the project.

Background

The central line relocation project was initiated in response to a land invasion that occurred just before the national Covid-19 lockdown. Prasa sought an eviction order from the High Court after failing to secure its land against unlawful occupation. The order included the provision of alternative emergency occupation. Prasa appointed HDA to handle land acquisition, planning approval applications, and the relocation of the unlawful occupants.

City of Cape Town’s Involvement

The City of Cape Town is involved in the relocation process in its capacity as a planning authority. According to a signed Intergovernmental Protocol agreement, Prasa and HDA hold full responsibility for the relocation process, while City officials are supporting Prasa and HDA’s appointed planning consultants in the submission of a development application. The application was submitted on 7 August and is currently undergoing compliance and completion checks with the assistance of City officials.

Update on the Relocation Process

The HDA reported the conclusion of land acquisition for Phase 1 of the relocation to Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) on 29 August. The acquisition processes for Phase 2 are currently ongoing. Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis attended the Scopa hearing on behalf of the City, with the Western Cape Government also being represented.

City of Cape Town’s Stance

Mayor Hill-Lewis emphasized the City of Cape Town’s limited role in the relocation process. The City is neither the applicant in the eviction process nor the landowner of the unlawfully occupied line or the proposed land for relocation. Regarding funding, the City of Cape Town received R111 million in unsolicited funding from the National Human Settlements, allocating R61 million to informal settlements upgrading projects and returning the remaining R50 million to the National Treasury for reallocation to the HDA.

The City of Cape Town is committed to playing its part as the independent planning authority in the collaborative effort to relocate unlawful occupants along Cape Town’s central line. Mayor Hill-Lewis expressed the City’s readiness to see trains running in the city and reiterated the importance of intergovernmental cooperation in addressing complex urban issues.