Western Cape Government Announces Plans for Portion of Tafelberg Site

Today, Provincial Ministers Tertuis Simmers and Jaco Londt announced the Western Cape Government’s (WCG) proposal for the redevelopment of a portion of 353 Main Road in Sea Point, colloquially referred to as the “Tafelberg site”. This follows an internal departmental utilisation review process, as provided for by the Government Immovable Asset Management Act, 2007 (GIAMA).

Provincial Minister of Infrastructure Simmers said, “The demands on us in 2025 are very different to what they were 10 years ago and the impact of COVID-19 and the economic recession have made continued service delivery in some of the social and public health environments a severe challenge. In line with the Government Immovable Asset Management Act, the provincial Department of Social Development (DSD) has formally requested that the Tafelberg site, specifically the portion formerly used as a school, not be considered for disposal until such time as its possible use for the delivery of a range of social services that are required in that area can be fully assessed. This now makes the property no longer surplus to government requirements.”

The Western Cape Minister of Social Development, Jaco Londt, said, “As the economic downturn continues to impact residents and organisations throughout the country, we have seen an increase in demand for social welfare services across our programmes. The Department of Social Development plans to use this opportunity to broaden our social services footprint, particularly to address the shortage of residential services in the province for persons with disabilities, and older persons. The department will be putting out a call for proposal for partnerships to ensure that we’re able to assist our most vulnerable residents”.

The WCG is committed to using its assets for the provision of affordable housing in well located areas where this is a reasonable and prudent use of the asset. On this basis and given the need for the delivery of affordable housing in the area, the provincial Department of Infrastructure remains committed to complete its investigations into possible future uses of the site. This includes the investigation into the viability of affordable housing on a portion of this erf previously used for accommodation purposes, which had its own title but was later consolidated into one erf.

Minister Simmers added, “The presumed obligation on the WCG to utilise this site only for affordable housing has been the subject of much engagement before the courts, and this matter is still ongoing. For much of the time that it has taken for the litigation to be finalised, the ability of the WCG to deliver on its constitutional service delivery imperatives as well as its commitment to spatial transformation via affordable housing projects in well located areas, has been restricted due to illegal occupation, such as the orchestrated invasion of the Helen Bowden site, and funding constraints. Unlocking the development potential at the Tafelberg site for the delivery of much needed social services and affordable housing, will result in the optimum use of this site by the government.”

While the Constitutional Court will shortly provide a ruling on the previous disposal process that applied in this matter and may of course give guidance as to how disposal of immovable property by all organs of state is to be applied in the future under GIAMA in that ruling, we are confident that any such judgment will still enable us to utilise a portion of this site, once subdivided, for affordable housing.