The Western Cape High Court has issued an interim interdict to end the intimidation and disruption of the construction of two schools on a portion of the Blueridge Sports Grounds in Wallacedene.
This follows repeated acts of harassment and incitement of violence that prevented construction of the school by individuals, some of whom are apparently members of the Oostenberg Football Club, according to the Western Cape Education Department (WCED).
Construction started in August this year, but was halted after the site office was burnt down by unidentified individuals and contractors forced to leave the site due to threats of violence.
The WCED and City of Cape Town approached the court on an urgent basis, given the dire need for places in schools in Wallacedene, with about 2 000 children needing placement for the 2024 academic year.
According to a media statement by the WCED the order interdicts the Oostenberg Football Association, all members and people who associate with it and its aims, and those whose identities are not yet known, from unlawful acts, including blocking access to the site, damaging equipment and facilities.
Visiting the site along with Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis last week, education minister David Maynier emphasised the serious toll the disruption has had on the project.
“We cannot allow a small group of individuals to prevent us from lawfully building schools that are desperately needed and wanted by the community. Children have a constitutional right to basic education, and this group is taking that right away from more than 2 000 learners for whom place is urgently needed. We will not allow this group to hold our children’s future hostage.”
Hill-Lewis welcomed the issuing of the interdict, saying the City was pleased that the rights of the learners were upheld by the court.
“We will ensure that law enforcement will monitor the area to enforce the order,” he said.
Ward councillor in Wallacedene Siyabonga Duka of the ANC said there are currently 1 600 unplaced children in Wallacedene, a number that is steadily growing.
He said the local community was in dire need of schools.
“This is not something the community could have waited for any longer,” he said to TygerBurger at a subcouncil meeting in August. “The community engaged in public meetings about the school and appreciate the support from the Western Cape Government to identify the need here and to Subcouncil 2 for creating a pathway to the education department.
The precinct that has been in planning since last year forms part of the Western Cape Government’s ambitious Rapid School Build Programme to develop and build seven schools within six months to accommodate up to 3 200 learners in Cape Town.
Dispute over chosen site
However, an official from the Oostenberg Football Club denied that it was its members who burnt down the container office.
“I’m not sure whether there are any current threats of violence and cannot comment on that. There are two groupings in the community, one that wants the school and the other that wants soccer fields.”
He said neither the City nor the WCED had agreed to start the consultation process from scratch after failing to do so in 2022.
“We found out about the schools only when we first saw contractors coming onto the site,” he said in an interview with TygerBurger last month.
“It is not that we don’t welcome the schools, because we do need them, but we cannot give up half our soccer fields.
“We currently have 2 000 children using the facilities for a junior and senior league. We requested a fresh start in consultations, but authorities would not budge on talking to us about how the school can be accommodated without negatively affecting the club.”
The City, however, confirmed that plans include to upgrade four soccer fields at the Sports Grounds, with the addition of floodlights, changing rooms and a multi-purpose sports hall that will be used by both the schools and the public.
The plan for the property includes a primary and high school, which will cater for 2 240 learners once completed. The schools form part of the WCED’s Rapid School Build, which aims to build safe, beautiful schools in areas where there is high demand for placement.
