Families live in limbo on Cape Town’s railway lines
PRASA has been mum for months about relocation plans
Families living on the rail reserve along Stock Road in Philippi East and those living on the railway line in Langa say the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) has been silent on plans to move them to permanent land. Photos: Sandiso Phaliso
The relocation of about 1,200 households living on the rail reserve along the Central Line in Langa, Cape Town has been delayed for more than 18 months.
The group has been living there since building homes during the Covid lockdowns. The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) wants to move them to two portions of land along Jakes Gerwel Drive between Philippi and Mitchells Plain.
PRASA, through the Housing Development Agency (HDA), acquired the land to which they will be moved from private owners. In August 2023 PRASA submitted applications to the City of Cape Town for the zoning of these properties to be changed from Agricultural to Single Residential.
But several deadlines set last year for the rail agency to submit outstanding documents have come and gone. Only once this is completed and approved will PRASA be able to move the railway line dwellers.
Once the City has received PRASA’s documents, reports will be finalised and submitted to the Municipal Planning Tribunal.
Living in limbo
Langa resident Lungile Mhlawuli says it’s been months since they last got any feedback from Metrorail or the City. “When we ask about the delays, we are given a cold-shoulder. It seems no one knows of the process and progress. We feel subhuman, even though we are voting citizens,” he said.
With regards to access to water, electricity, and toilets, Mhlawuli says their pleas are yet to be answered. “Every day we suffer in this area and the process to relocate us is taking longer than necessary. Our children are getting sick,” said Mhlawuli.
According to Eddie Andrews, the City’s Deputy Mayor and mayco member for spatial planning and environment, the City is still waiting for PRASA to provide feedback to comments made on its application for rezoning.
Families were moved a few meters off the railway line to this site along Stock Road in Philippi East in December.
Stock Road settlement
In December 2023 about 900 households, who had built shacks on and next to the Central Line in Philippi East, were moved to PRASA-owned land next to the Stock Road train station.
While there is running water, residents say portable toilets aren’t cleaned as often as they should be. They also complained about not having electricity. Most people have illegal connections.
The Stock Road residents are also supposed to move to the land acquired by PRASA. But Thimna Bango, who lives on the site, said they were last updated by PRASA last year.
“We have sent delegates to the City of Cape Town and PRASA to ask about a way forward but we are not getting the answers. We feel we have been relocated and dumped here with no immediate plans,” said Bango. She said they were relieved when taps were installed this year.
PRASA moved them to Stock Road (literally metres away from the railway lines that they were occupying) without finalising the required rezoning process for the land, and were fined R25,000 by the City for contravention of applicable by-laws.
The rezoning application was submitted last year. Andrews told GroundUp that the City was still waiting to hear back from PRASA “on some outstanding matters pertaining to the land use application”.
The railway line to the Kapteinsklip station in Mitchells Plain is littered with rubbish.
The City said 15 comments were received from internal City departments, three of which raised concerns about access to the site. This would make providing services like water, servicing toilets, and access to emergency vehicles difficult, the City said. Four other public objections were received against the application, said Andrews.
The closing date for public comment on the application was 21 October.
PRASA spokesperson Andiswa Makanda told GroundUp on Monday that they have committed to dealing with the feedback on the land along Jakes Gerwel by the end of May.
On the Stock Road site, Makanda said town planners are working with Eskom to find a solution for its rezoning application as Eskom owns land adjacent to the site.
Meanwhile the Central Line to Khayelitsha has been running smoothly but trains do not stop at all the stations between Cape Town and Chris Hani station, despite numerous promises.
Metrorail Western Cape manager Raymond Maseko this week said, “The Mitchells Plain route will be operational by end of May, sharing with the Khayelitsha line. For Mitchells Plain to be independently operational, the shacks in Langa need to be removed.”
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