The City of Cape Town has taken a crucial step forward by relaunching its flagship ACSA Symphony Way housing project in Delft, a development dedicated to providing homes for almost 3,500 residents currently living in informal settlements. The announcement comes with a solemn remembrance for Wendy Kloppers, a devoted City official tragically murdered by gang extortionists in 2023 while visiting the site.

The Symphony Way project, initially paused following Kloppers’ untimely death, is a beacon of progress in the City’s efforts to tackle housing shortages, with Site A alone set to provide 1,766 housing opportunities. The estimated completion for this first phase is projected for the second half of 2028, contingent upon a smooth process moving forward.

Vulnerable beneficiaries

"This R400 million flagship project comprises two sites, Site A and Site B, and will yield approximately 3,469 housing opportunities for beneficiaries and their families upon completion,” said Councillor Carl Pophaim, Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements during the relaunch ceremony. He stressed the importance of including representatives from the affected communities—Malawi Camp, Freedom Farm, and Blikkiesdorp—in the event.

The relaunch signifies not only a resurgence of hope for informal settlement residents but also a tangible commitment to the legacy of Wendy Kloppers. "We are committed to seeing this project to its conclusion for the benefit of some of our most vulnerable beneficiaries. It is absolutely critical that members of the community help us to complete this project without further criminal interference," Pophaim urged. "Criminals cannot and will not be allowed to take additional lives and housing opportunities from those who most need them."

Restore dignity

The Symphony Way development is not merely about housing; it is integrally tied to the expansion of the Cape Town International Airport, facilitating the realignment of the existing runway and the future construction of a second parallel runway. This ambitious project echoes strategic urban planning intertwined with social upliftment.

The selection of beneficiaries follows a fair and independent process as outlined in the City’s Allocation Policy, ensuring that only those truly in need, as assessed through the Housing Needs Register, will benefit from these housing opportunities. In this, the City aims to restore dignity to displaced individuals while simultaneously improving local infrastructure and community safety.

"We cannot allow criminals impacting projects to become the norm. We are fighting it with everything we have," Pophaim reiterated. "Together we can make a difference and instil hope for the residents of Cape Town." The City is encouraging local communities to join in the fight against criminality, declaring, "#EndExtortion – Enough – Genoeg – Kwanele," in a call to action for collective resistance against gang-related crime.

Weekend Argus