Last week, the City of Cape Town extended the King David Mowbray Golf Club’s lease for another 10 years. However, there is now a 2-year cancellation clause so that the lease can be ended early to enable this high-potential piece of public land to be turned into a mixed-income, mixed-use development. The cancellation clause, and further commitment to develop the site inclusively, are a major victory, and come after years of activist pressure to put this public land to more just, efficient and sustainable use.
The site is 49.5 hectares, which is equal in size to a small suburb or 49 rugby fields. It could be used to transform the lives of hundreds of families while providing genuine public space and a range of amenities that do not require exorbitant membership fees to access.
BUT, we are left with a familiar set of questions:
- Will this become another project that exists on paper but never in reality?
- Will feasibility and preparatory work be dragged out for more than a decade, as is sadly so often the case?
- Will affordable housing be properly prioritised in the project so that as many people as possible can benefit?
Join us in ensuring that the City follows through on its commitment and that it acts with the necessary urgency in converting this exclusive use of public land into a project that genuinely serves the people of Cape Town.
Read more here:
- Two Cape Town Golf Courses May be Turned into Housing – Interview on Cape Talk 2023
- Cape Town’s King David Mowbray golf club eyed for potential housing development (News 24)
- City Leases: Cape Town’s Failure to Redistribute Land