Cape Town to fight SAHRC bid to block release of 49 municipal land sites

The City of Cape Town will vigorously oppose a South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) application seeking to stop the release of 49 municipal properties earmarked for housing, commercial development and industrial opportunities, ***Cape {town} Etc ***reports.

Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has criticised the legal action, arguing that the commission raised its concerns months after the City responded to its initial enquiries and after the properties had undergone land release processes, including public participation.
Hill-Lewis has also questioned the timing of the application, which comes shortly before the local government elections.

‘It appears more like electioneering coming a week before elections.’

– Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis.

The dispute places Cape Town’s municipal land programme under scrutiny, with the City arguing that making suitable properties available for development is an important part of addressing housing demand, supporting businesses and creating employment.

Housing opportunities across Cape Town

According to the City of Cape Town, 28 of the 49 properties are residential-zoned sites intended to help meet local housing demand. These include areas such as Mitchells Plain, Maitland, Goodwood, Kraaifontein, Somerset West and Durbanville.

Other properties are intended for commercial and industrial development, with opportunities expected in Atlantis, Delft, Parow and Mitchells Plain. The sites were made available through a public auction process in February 2026.

Hill-Lewis said the City had provided the SAHRC with information about the properties and their suitability for different forms of development. The City maintains that its land release programme has been designed to put suitable municipal land to productive use rather than allow it to remain undeveloped.

Affordable housing is a key part of the City’s land release strategy. According to the City, 14 sites have already been released specifically for affordable housing, including six in the inner city. These properties have the potential to deliver about 7 000 residential units, including 4 000 affordable housing units and 2 500 social housing units.

A further 39 sites are in the pipeline, including 11 in the central business district. Together, these sites could accommodate approximately 40 000 residential units, although delivery will depend on development progress and the availability of funding.

The City also points to completed projects as evidence of its approach, including more than 200 social rental units at Maitland Mews, over 1 000 units at Goodwood Station and more than 400 units at Bothasig Gardens.

These developments form part of broader efforts to increase access to housing in established urban areas, where residents can potentially live closer to jobs, public transport and essential services.

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The City says its land release programme also supports municipal finances and economic development. According to the City, land releases have generated R628 million during the current term of office, with the revenue channelled back into services and infrastructure.

The programme has also created 70 commercial and industrial opportunities aimed at encouraging investment and job creation, alongside 55 opportunities for social care and community facilities.

To make affordable housing projects more viable, the City has introduced measures including discounted land prices, funding for bulk infrastructure, rates discounts for social housing developments and reduced utility costs for tenants.

It is also encouraging smaller developers to build affordable rental units through planning reforms and a R20 million incentive fund to help cover bulk infrastructure connection costs.

National funding remains a challenge

Despite these initiatives, the City says limited national funding is holding back further social housing development. According to the City, national grant funding for affordable housing has declined by 41.1% since 2017 when adjusted for inflation and population growth.

The municipality says approximately 2 500 social housing opportunities in the CBD and surrounding areas could move into construction if funding were secured. It also says six funding applications for developments on City-released land have been submitted since the approval of funding for Maitland Mews in 2021, but none of the subsequent applications has been approved.

The City is increasingly turning to mixed-use developments, where commercial and other property uses help subsidise affordable housing, to reduce its reliance on national grants.

City prepares to challenge SAHRC

Hill-Lewis has accused the commission of acting politically, saying the City will oppose the application. The legal dispute raises broader questions about the use of public land, the delivery of affordable housing and the role of oversight institutions in municipal decision-making.

For Cape Town residents, the outcome could affect plans to bring housing and economic opportunities to several communities. The City maintains that releasing suitable land is central to its development strategy. The SAHRC‘s application now threatens to delay the process while the legal challenge is considered.

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**Also Read: **

Elections 2026: Affordable housing – has the City of Cape Town done enough?

**Picture: **Patrick Ward / Unsplash

The post Cape Town to fight SAHRC bid to block release of 49 municipal land sites appeared first on Cape Town ETC.