The announcement by Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa that 19 historical places in Bo-Kaap would finally be declared as national heritage sites is a positive step in the right direction.

It will support the heritage protection measures that the City recently put in place. Last month, the inclusion of the Bo-Kaap area in a heritage protection overlay zone (HPOZ) was published in the Western Cape Provincial Gazette on Friday 12 April 2019.

This came after the City Council approved the inclusion of the Bo-Kaap area in a heritage protection overlay zone on 28 March 2019.

All land units and public streets in the Bo-Kaap are now included in the HPOZ and as such have heritage protection.

The development applications for properties within the Bo-Kaap will be assessed more critically to ensure that future development proposals will not have a negative impact on the heritage value of the area as well as to prevent inappropriate development.

Apart from being the earliest established Muslim community in South Africa, the Bo-Kaap is also Cape Town’s oldest surviving residential neighbourhood. These protections also allow us to balance the preservation and developmental needs of the Bo-Kaap over the long-term.

The HPOZ for the Bo-Kaap extends to the Table Mountain National Park and includes the northern green verges to the northwest of Strand Street, and includes Buitengracht between the intersections with Carisbrook and Strand Street.

The HPOZ will have an impact on all of those who own property in the Bo-Kaap, in particular as it relates to new developments, restorations, and the maintenance and alteration of properties. The HPOZ does not affect ownership or the rental of property.
 
The HPOZ will also not prevent new development. However, the HPOZ sets additional development rules over and above the provisions of the base zoning for land units in the Bo-Kaap.

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