Residents Demand Answers About Future of Atlantis Centre

Residents of Atlantis say they will resist any move to privatise the Thusong Centre. The City says the intention is to keep the facility available to government and community institutions, not sell it for commercial gain.

• Uncertainty surrounds the future of the Atlantis Thusong Centre, which houses Home Affairs, SASSA and other municipal services.
• An internal report to the subcouncil has proposed disposing of the property, citing high maintenance costs.
• The report notes that more than R4.6-million was spent on maintenance over ten years, and references previous health and safety closures at Home Affairs and SASSA.
• Residents fear losing access to vital services, saying elderly and disabled people will struggle to travel to other towns for assistance.

Community members in Atlantis are petitioning the local government to keep their local Thusong Centre open. They are worried that if the centre closes down or is sold, residents will lose access to vital services housed at the centre such as Home Affairs, SASSA, social development and law enforcement.

The City of Cape Town has not explicitly confirmed that the facility will be sold.

An internal report to subcouncil 1, which GroundUp has seen, proposes the property to either be disposed of, terminating the existing leases with tenants, or for the erf be subdivided and for the main building to be sold. The document was submitted to subcouncil 1 for “information and noting purposes”.

The same document shows that Home Affairs’ lease lapsed at the end of 2025. SASSA’s lease is set to expire in 2028. The provincial office did not respond to questions about its contract with the municipality.

The report outlines maintenance and management challenges at the multi-use facility, showing that more than R4.6-million was spent on upkeep between March 2013 and March 2023.

When we visited the site in January, a notice on the fence indicated that a development application, dated 27 June 2025, had been submitted to rezone erf 8813 to permit a Place of Instruction. The City did not confirm the status or details of this application.

For many long-time residents, the building represents far more than a municipal property.

Community leader Theunis Maki said he has lived in Atlantis for most of his life and remembers when the area was just farmland. “Atlantis is turning 50 this year, so I am part of the furniture.”

Maki said the site was originally used by women who gathered to pray there before a hall was built. Over time, the centre became a venue for weddings, funerals, church services and skills training, including sewing and computer classes.

He said the Thusong Centre was meant to house many services under one roof so residents would not have to travel long distances.

Desiree Desmond recalled the centre hosting skills training to uplift young women in the area. “At one stage, we had sewing machines sponsored and women made clothes to sell at affordable prices,” she said.

She said the arrival of Home Affairs and SASSA later made the centre even more important, particularly for residents from surrounding areas such as Mamre, Pella-Katzenberg and Witsand.

Previously people had to travel to Malmesbury or Cape Town city centre.

Thusong Centre in Atlantis is more than just a government building to the community, say residents.

“Many people here are disabled and cannot use the bus,” she said.

As word spread of the centre’s possible demise, community members launched petitions. According to organisers, the petition, to date, has more than 10,000 signatures.

In response to questions about the proposed disposal, mayco member for economic growth, James Vos, acknowledged the important role played by the Thusong Centre.

“The City’s intention is not to dispose of the Thusong Centre to the private sector for commercial gain, but rather to ensure that the facility remains available to suitable institutions, organisations, or spheres of government to continue delivering public and social services,” he said.

He said they are in talks with the national and provincial government. He added that the City is considering its options, one of which would be to use the building for social development or education.

“As the future use of the property is still under consideration, no formal public participation process has commenced at this stage,” Vos said.

Meanwhile, residents say they remain sceptical about the City’s assurances that the facility would remain available for public use. They are considering further action or legal steps to keep the centre open to the community.

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