- Following the eviction of illegal occupants from the Hangberg Civic Centre in Hout Bay, residents have expressed frustration over the ongoing disrepair of the facility.
- Community activist Roscoe Jacobs criticised the City for delays, while Mayco member Patricia van der Ross explained that the process of sourcing an engineer and appointing a project manager has just begun.
- The lack of a functional civic centre impacts local youth development and the daily lives of residents, residents say, particularly women and children.
Following the eviction of illegal occupants at the Hangberg Civic Centre in Hout Bay earlier this year, local residents highlighted the continued state of the facility’s disrepair in June, a month dedicated to the youth so dependant on recreational spaces like it.
Community activist Roscoe Jacobs highlighted the state of the community’s facilities to People’s Post, accusing the City of “dragging their feet on this matter”.
“The Hangberg Civic remains closed for community usage. Occupiers were evicted and the City of Cape Town’s Mayco member for community services and health Patricia van der Ross indicated that funds have been ring fenced, but to date there are no clear plans to refurbish the Civic and replace the old asbestos roof.”
Van der Ross responded to the pressing matter by explaining that the process of sourcing an engineer to repair the centre has only just begun.
She said the building assessment was conducted owing current challenges to “vandalising of the entire building and roof which require repairs”.
No exact dates
As no contractor has yet been appointed, the exact repair dates cannot be confirmed, Van der Ross admitted.
The process has started, she said, adding that her department was in process of appointing a service provider to initiate these repairs.
Meanwhile, the community faces the absence of the centre in their daily lives, especially women and young ones, as Jacobs pointed out.
“This is impacting youth development and also human dignity of our women who are forced to pee in the open/public when school sport games take place.”
When asked the City’s sentiments on this, considering Youth Month being celebrated recently, Van der Ross simply said:
“The Civic Centre has always been intended for recreational purposes for the community. However, for the last four years, the facility was illegally occupied up until mid-February this year when the illegal occupants were officially removed from the facility.”
- General building and plumbing repairs including kitchen and ablutions
- Electrical repairs to the entire facility
- The refurbishment of the cloak room
In conclusion, Van der Ross said that the building of the Hangberg Civic Centre will also need to be assessed for compliance before it can be reopened.
