The City’s decision to turn down a request which would fast-track the further reopening of the Central railway line has put a dampener on efforts to provide cash-strapped commuters with a cost-efficient transport service.
This comes after the City rejected a request by the Passenger Railway Agency of SA (Prasa) and the Housing Development Agency (HDA) to relocate hundreds of people living on the train lines to a piece of land between the Philippi Horticultural Area and Mitchells Plain.
The relocation, which would have been on a temporary emergency basis, was to land owned by the HDA.
The City said the decision was based on a “legal opinion” it received, a move that has been described as “weak leadership” and angered the families expecting to be relocated.
“Only a weak leadership, without experience and wisdom, would capitulate when there are difficult decisions to make. In this case, it’s apparent that they don’t want to have to make the decision,” said GOOD Party secretary-general Brett Herron.
The decision also rendered Prasa’s high court order to have the families relocated by November 30 ineffective.
Parts of the line have been out of service since 2019 with the conditions further deteriorating due to vandalism, theft and arson attacks.
The spokesperson for Prasa, Andiswa Makanda, said the decision would result in a delay but could not say how long the delays would be as the rail agency was “dependent” on the City.
Public Works Minister Patricia de Lille also expressed her disappointment at the City’s decision and urged it to get its priorities right.
“It’s poor people who now have to spend (around) 40% of their income on other modes of transport. The economy of the city is also suffering,” she said.
Herron added: “Economies grow and thrive and attract investments when there is a functional public transport service. Our economic growth is directly affected by the continued mothballing of this line.”
Affected families have now threatened to hold a protest march against the City on December 8 to register their dissatisfaction with the City’s decision.
Community leader Mxoleleni Ngutyana said residents were being treated like a “political football”.
Herron added that it has “always been clear that the City was not fully committed to a solution” to the relocation of the families who occupied the land.
“In 2021, Prasa board chairperson Leonard Ramatlakane informed the provincial transport and public works committee that the delay in restoring the functioning of the Central Line was partially as a result of the City being unwilling to engage on a land swop which would enable the relocation.
“The mayor must stop hiding behind ‘legal opinions’ which are never produced,” said Herron.
According to the HDA, the City and other government departments and agencies signed an implementation protocol (IP) to facilitate the relocation of the residents.
The agency’s spokesperson, Katlego Moselakgomo, said a project management committee (PMC) was established, which included City representatives who guided the process followed for section 68 Municipal Planning By-Laws.
The section allows for the provision of emergency housing on land that is not already zoned for housing.
“With the full understanding of the requirements of section 68, the City as part of the PMC advised the process should be applied, which should be followed by the rezoning application that will kick in once the section 68 application has been approved,” said Moselakgomo.
On June 1, the HDA, acting on behalf of the IP steering committee, submitted a request for the City to lodge section 68 for approval by the council.
The HDA was informed that the application would be tabled at the City’s council meeting scheduled for August 18.
But after no communication on the status of the application between August 18 and October 13, the City then said it would seek a legal opinion without tabling the matter to the council.
In August, ward 34 councillor and chairperson of subcouncil 17 Elton-Enrique Jansen vehemently opposed the planned relocation of the residents to the Mitchells Plain area.
Jansen said his “rejection” of the plan was based on the fact that there was no consultation with the communities who would be affected.
By then the HDA had only submitted a request for the section 68 application to facilitate the emergency relocation.
Moselakgomo said the PMC decided to hold a public briefing on or before December 15.
Mayco member for spatial planning and environment Eddie Andrews declined to respond to questions.
“The City has no further comment on this matter currently, after the media release of 25 November 2022. Further updates will follow in due course.”
The City had in its statement said they had turned down the application as the proposal had not provided assurances that the relocation would be temporary or details on how the provision of services would be financed.