Deep South Town Hall shows rising resistance to City’s unethical spatial vision

A packed town hall meeting in the Deep South last night showed deep public concern over the City of Cape Town’s spatial development vision for the area.

The event, organised by the Cape Independent newspaper, brought together representatives from the Freedom Front Plus (FF), the Referendum Party (RP) and the Cape Independence Party (CIP) for a joint panel discussion to examine the implications of the City’s proposals and explore practical options for residents.

The hall reached its full capacity of 120 attendees, reflecting the depth of interest and anxiety over the pace and direction of development across Fish Hoek, Ocean View, Site 5 (Masi) and surrounding areas.

The stated purpose of the evening was clear: to provide residents with information, to allow a public airing of concerns, and to encourage cooperative civic action against the unethical densification of the Deep South.

Attendees indicated they were broadly informed about the LSDF and that many were former or disillusioned DA voters. Lowering the DA’s vote share below 50% in the 2025 local elections is necessary to constrain its dominance in council as the old saying goes, “power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

Pieter Jansen van Vuuren

Pieter van Vuuren from the Freedom Front Plus addressed broad political questions that dominated residents’ comments. He said that national-level party decisions, rather than local councillors’ preferences, are driving the City’s development trajectory. The pattern matches trends seen elsewhere in South Africa: intensified inward migration, growing pressure on urban infrastructure, and the political incentive to expand voter bases.

Van Vuuren acknowledged the legitimate need for housing but warned that local ratepayers are being expected to absorb the financial consequences of rapid and unmanaged settlement. He said that the City’s approach is part of a broader political move that risks overwhelming existing communities if left unchallenged.

Jack Miller

Jack Miller from the Cape Independence Party argued that the Western Cape’s housing pressures stem from economic migration into the province from inside and outside South Africa, incentivised by subsidised housing and services. He also criticised racialised and politically selective nature of benefit distribution.

Among other points Jack cited an example of an 11 000-page municipal planning amendment bylaw, most of which consisted of public objections, to argue that DA councillors lack autonomy and vote strictly according to party instruction. According to him, internal dissent within the DA exists but cannot be expressed publicly due to job security concerns.

Phil Craig

Phil Craig from the Referendum Party and co-founder of the Cape Independence Advocacy Group, presented the results of a community poll conducted shortly before the meeting.

• 98% opposed the relocation of residents from Masi into Fish Hoek, Ocean View and surrounding smallholdings.
• 98% rejected proposals for a low-cost housing development in Elgin Park.
• 97% said the Deep South could not absorb further population growth without damaging services and the environment.
• 93% opposed the City’s current spatial development plan outright.

Craig moved on to argue that relocating residents who had settled illegally in wetlands does not resolve the underlying issue since new settlements will likely reappear. Instead the approach rewards illegal occupation by placing those residents ahead of long-waiting local families.

The broader challenge, he said, is that political correctness often pressures residents into silence, even when policies appear irrational or unjust. Craig urged the community not to allow guilt to override their own right to fair treatment.

He also stressed that communities possess more influence than they realise through coordinated action, organised committees, legal avenues, and ultimately the ballot box. “You only have power if you stand together,” he said.