We all have rights, some more than others. Sometimes the concept of rights goes too far and thinking people must come together and allow rationality to supersede.
Recently some ratepayer’s associations a distant from the Garden village community objected to the development of affordable housing near that village. The objectors were from Maitland, Thornton, Pinelands, and Kensington. Since the Provincial Department has clearly assigned huge resources into the planned development, why is it that a few consider they know better than qualified specialists?
Similarly, but for altered reasons, locals in Kenilworth were annoyed by an affordable development on the racecourse. Seemingly the area has some scarce shrubbery that must be saved. One must consider why none of the hyped-up activists did not stop the shrubbery from extinction when it was endangered on the Cape Flats and elsewhere? Why does it matter now when developers want to house the less well-heeled in Kenilworth?
The questions are vital because, Cape Town like all global cities has limited choice but to absorb the millions that will trek to cities. In 30 years 80% of all humans will live in cities. Where exactly must all the newcomers be housed when locals object to affordable housing nearby.
As Capetonians we must be honest with each other. The upper classes must tell their Councillors and other reps that they do not want poor people housed near them instead of dancing around issues of aesthetics and threatened shrubbery.
China builds a city the size of Cape Town every 10 years. We must stop wasting time and energy with insincere niceties and bullshit.
Cllr Yagyah Adams
Cape Muslim Congress