Informal settlements remain amidst Cape Town International Airport upgrade
Cape Town - While Cape Town International Airport is set for an upgrade, residents adjacent to the airport such as Blikkiesdorp, Malawi Camp and Freedom Park which have signed a memorandum of agreement with the Airport Company of South Africa (ACSA) and the City for alternative housing, remain in the middle of the development.
The site had earlier been earmarked for re-alignment of the runway of the airport at a cost of R3.8 billion.
During a transport parliamentary Committee meeting with Acsa, the company said the City must co-develop Symphony Way into an integrated model for housing, industrial and commercial development, public facilities and conservation areas, placing the priority of the three informal settlements high on the list.
Acsa did not wan’t to comment, but referred queries to the City’s human settlement department.
Thulisiwe Mkatshwa of Acsa, said: “The City of Cape Town is running the community projects.”
Human Settlements Mayco member, Carl Pophaim told Weekend Argus that the housing projects were continuing as promised by stakeholders, Acsa and themselves.
“Blikkiesdorp has been decommissioned as an emergency site,” he said.
“It was always earmarked to assist those who faced housing emergencies until they had resolved their emergencies.
“The earmarked residents are to be incorporated in the formal development along Symphony Way. As per the signed Memorandum of Agreement between the Airports Company of South Africa (Acsa) and the City, the target area for this housing project is Blikkiesdorp, Malawi Camp and Freedom Farm. This work is again under way with the formal development, after the project was suspended due to violent extortion.”
Earlier this month, Blikkiesdorp leader, Jerome Daniels told Weekend Argus that the area was still home to over 1000 residents and that they could not accommodate more relocations to the camp due to it being overcrowded.
He said many residents had been waiting for 20 years for housing and living in the Temporary Relocation Area (TRA) for 18 years.