Construction is underway at Ghost Town informal settlement in Maitland to construct over 100 households with an Alternative Building Technologies (ABT) development with one-on-one serviced plots.
The construction will also see the relocation of over 40 people from Salt River to the informal settlement which is based at Gate 1 at Maitland Cemetery.
But this move has residents furious, accusing the City of Cape Town of not being transparent stating that they were not consulted over the relocation.
Cheslyn Steenberg, Ward 56 councillor, said: “The community is against the relocation, and I support that. My initial support for that development was solely based on services, however, the City of Cape Town has hijacked the vulnerability of that situation to bring in the people of Salt River.
“We don’t agree with the people moving here but we do agree that services are needed for the residents of Ghost Town. They have lived for years with communal services.”
Steenberg said residents are also concerned about how the move will impact crime, and other social ills.
“That site will remain Ghost Town whether there’s alternative building infrastructure or not. We need people to move into decent and formal homes.”
Steenberg claimed he has engaged with the mayor and the Mayco member for human settlements and he has since escalated the matter to the national government for intervention.
“I hope that the City will hear our plea to not bring the residents from Salt River into the ward and create the impression that we are a dumping ground.”
Meanwhile, the Maitland Ratepayers Association wrote in a press statement: “Maitland is not a dumping ground for the City’s planning failures”
“This decision was made without any prior consultation with the Maitland community. It is a fundamental breach of participatory governance and democratic accountability. There was no consultation with the Maitland community before this decision, which we see as a serious failure in process.”
The association said while the project was promoted as a step toward affordable housing, it failed to address deeper crises such as homelessness, unmanaged informal settlements, and the long-standing housing backlog in Ward 56.
“We firmly reject the City’s top-down approach and object to being treated as a convenient solution to poor planning and mismanagement in other areas.”
It added that Maitland, like Kensington and Factreton, was “under significant strain” and could not continue to absorb the consequences of “flawed housing policies” elsewhere.
The statement further continued: “We are not passive recipients of decisions made behind closed doors. We demand a fair, transparent, and inclusive process that honours the principles of local democracy and respects the voices of all residents.”
The association demands full disclosure of all documentation related to the planning, approval, and authorisation of this relocation.
It also said it is escalating the matter to the relevant national departments to address the lack of due process and public participation.
“We will formally approach the Speaker of Council to raise our concerns and demand accountability. We will continue mobilising our community to resist any decision made without proper engagement,” concluded the statement.
Residents of Ghost Town welcomes the upgrade plans and said they were consulted about the relocations. People’s Post spoke to a few of the residents.
Shakirah October has been living there for the past seven years. “We appreciate the fact that we will be getting these ABT structures. We have waited long for this. We also don’t mind the people from Salt River moving here
Matilda Verlaat (61) said she has been living in a shack for the past 14 years. And said her prayers had been answered.
Margaret Jansen (62) who has been living there for 15 years said she has been on the housing data base for over 35 years. She said while she is not against the project she wants to know where they will be moved to while the construction is underway.
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