I want to repeat that the City of Cape Town is committed to preserving and celebrating the rich and diverse cultures and heritage of our communities, and I feel privileged to share in the Mayoral Committee’s decision to initiate the process to provide the Bo-Kaap with the heritage protection that the community has been calling for.

I want to touch briefly on what a Heritage Protection Overlay Zone (HPOZ) entails. An HPOZ forms part of the Development Management Scheme (DMS) of the Municipal Planning By-Law. An HPOZ is implemented by local government, and is separate from a National Heritage process. The National Minister of Arts and Culture will have to address any requests for a national heritage site, as I believe he visited the Bo-Kaap last month and made some commitments to the community.

It is important to note that an HPOZ does not prevent development from taking place. But an HPOZ does require the City to consider, in addition to the base zoning, the impact on heritage significance where alterations, consolidations, demolitions, or new developments are proposed on properties that fall within an HPOZ.
An HPOZ therefore ensures that where there is development it is sensitive to the area’s architecture, community, and history.

The HPOZ applies to all areas covered by the overlay and in this case it is proposed that the Bo-Kaap HPOZ extends from Carisbrook Street to Strand Street, and from the foot of Lion’s Head/Signal Hill to Buitengracht Street.

Importantly, an HPOZ does not affect ownership nor does it affect the selling or buying of property.

The HPOZ is also consistent with the requirements of the National Heritage Resource Agency for managing heritage areas.

I want to thank the community for their patience, and apologise for the unnecessary delay they have had to endure, as Councillor Dave Bryant first proposed an HPOZ for the Bo-Kaap via a motion to Subcouncil 16 in 2013.

The people of the Bo-Kaap deserve a speedy resolution to this matter and as I said when we announced this process, this administration is committed to ensuring that there are no further delays in finalising the proposal to help protect the Bo-Kaap’s heritage and culture.

The Bo-Kaap is one of our most iconic areas with its rich history and unique architecture. Many Bo-Kaap families have been living there for generations and have contributed significantly to our cultural heritage. The City recognises that this heritage should be protected.

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