City of Cape Town says national government slow to release “well-located” land for affordable housing By Marecia Damons Land and housing legal support organisations Ndifuna Ukwazi (NU) and Reclaim the City (RTC) say the City of Cape Town is moving too slowly on its promises to create affordable housing. In July 2017, the City announced that 11 pieces of public land in the...

Treating occupiers as criminals fails to recognise that the vast majority of people are forced to take land, says Ndifuna Ukwazi By Mary-Anne Gontsana Over 8,000 people have signed a petition to extend the City of Cape Town’s public comment period on a draft by-law. Public comments closed on 31 July. Housing activists believe the by-law will criminalise the occupation of...

Activists welcome possible change of policy By Marecia Damons The City of Cape Town has identified parts of two golf courses as potential sites for housing. The move has been welcomed by housing activists. The public has until Sunday to comment on the City’s spatial development frameworks. Parts of the King David Mowbray Golf Course and Rondebosch Golf Course may be turned...

Counter campaign to City’s appeal launched by activists By Marecia Damons and James Stent Ndifuna Ukwazi has condemned the City of Cape Town for soliciting and encouraging the public to complain about homeless people. The City says it is entitled to request information from all of its citizens in order to assess the effect of “street people”. The call sent out suggested people...

Residents have turned the former Woodstock Hospital into a home and want the City of Cape Town to engage directly with them to come up with a solution, rather than evict them through the courts. By Matthew Hirsch It has been almost four years since residents occupied the Woodstock Hospital in Cape Town, now known as Cissie Gool House. The only...

Eviction of Kenneth Blaine escalates ideological battle between local government and Reclaim the City By Steve Kretzmann Lawyers representing the City of Cape Town have threatened legal action against activist organisation Reclaim The City unless it agrees, in writing, to not impede the City’s attempts to evict 80-year-old Kenneth Blaine from the council-owned house in Woodstock he has been living in for...

Activists want new developments in city centre to include affordable housing  By Sandisiwe Shoba Activist organisation and law centre Ndifuna Ukwazi (NU) has launched litigation in the Cape High Court to compel the City of Cape Town to develop a housing policy that would require new developments to include affordable housing. To launch the litigation about 30 NU and Reclaim the City members...