The National Department of Rural Development and Land Reform (DRDLR) is responsible for the overall redevelopment of District Six, and the construction of houses for the beneficiaries.

Although the City is not involved with the restitution process, we are responsible for creating a local neighbourhood plan for District Six in collaboration with the District Six community, and other residents. The purpose of this plan is to re-establish this once vibrant neighbourhood, to create a sense of belonging, and to establish a multicultural community.

The DRDLR recently received authorisation from Heritage Western Cape to commence with the removal of rubble, and will soon move onto the land to prepare the sites for construction.

‘This is a historical moment for those who have been forcefully removed from their homes in 1966 when the bulldozers from the apartheid government flattened District Six and uprooted a whole community.

‘But, before we start rebuilding District Six with brick and mortar, the City wants to host an interfaith meeting where the community of District Six and other residents can reflect on the pain inflicted on those who once called this their home. It will be an opportunity to remember the wounds, the losses and the harm done, and to also pay tribute to those who have passed on and cannot see justice restored.

‘At this meeting, we will ask our spiritual leaders to pray for us. We will ask them to bless this land, and to bless the new journey we are embarking on. As with any new journey, much guidance and wisdom will be needed, as well as patience and faith, goodwill and commitment. This meeting will mark the beginning of our healing process, and in us coming together to rebuild the future of District Six in a sustainable manner,’ said Alderman Marian Nieuwoudt, the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment.

The second meeting will take place on Human Rights Day, and will mark the beginning of the City’s process to develop a local neighbourhood plan in collaboration with the District Six community. The immediate focus will be on the public realm – the open spaces and amenities of the future District Six.

‘A community forms over time. We become a community in the places where we meet, mostly outside of our homes, and most often than not, by chance. A community is shaped on our streets where we stop and greet an uncle or an aunt, where we pass acquaintances on our way to the shop or work. A community’s stories are told in the park where mothers and fathers and caretakers share anecdotes or recipes while the children play under trees, at the spaces in-between where young adults gather and learn about responsibility and taking the lead.

‘A community does not exist in a building. Community happens outside of our homes, in the public space, in what is often refer to as the public realm. A community is where we recognise each other as passing individuals, but also as one when we come together. At this second meeting the City wants to engage with residents about the public realm – how we can shape and form the future District Six community with public open spaces; what we want these spaces to look like, how we want to use them, and how we want them to connect us with one another, and the other surrounding neighbourhoods,’ said Alderman Nieuwoudt.

The two meetings will take place as follows:

• Wednesday, 18 March 2020: Interfaith meeting starting at 10:30 on the corner of Hanover and Russell Streets in District Six; guests to arrive at 10:00
• Saturday, 21 March 2020: Introductory meeting about the local neighbourhood plan for District Six, starting at 08:00 in the Banqueting Hall, 5th floor, Podium Block, at the Cape Town Civic Centre, 12 Hertzog Boulevard

‘The City is looking forward to hosting these meetings. We are on this journey together with our residents, and we will do everything possible to bring healing, redress, and social cohesion. We are all aware that the redevelopment of District Six will not happen overnight, but much can be achieved when we are focused and when we work with intent and urgency. The community of District Six has been waiting for decades and it is time for their return.

‘I want to assure all that we are committed to working together with the Western Cape Government, and the National Government who is taking the lead for the redevelopment of District Six. Once completed, we want to see a neighbourhood at the foot of Table Mountain that is vibrant and beautiful, inclusive, and sustained by a strong local economy,’ said Alderman Nieuwoudt.

End