Phillipi
Horticultural Area (PHA)
Human impact on the environment
Gr 11 2013
Conditions of use of this overview of the PHA
ppt presentation, articles and worksheets.
• This presentation is intended to introduce you, the educator, to the
complexities of the PHA and to equip you to potentially use this local case
study to give students a hands-on overview of this section of the syllabus,
as it is topical, controversial and relevant.
• It is a compilation of slides extracted from talks given by Nazeer Sonday
(spokesperson for the farmers and other organisations aiming to preserve
the PHA) and a professional City of Cape Town planner and conservationist
to a school’s learners, as well as some comments and discussions held
amongst learners at the school after the presentations. The material
presented is NOT to be used as such for other presentations please, as it is
not original.
• Newspaper articles clipped from the Cape Times have been scanned and
possible aspects which can be investigated accompany this overview. The
worksheets and accompanying suggestions for approaching this topic are
original and may be used for educational purposes at your school.
• Please consult the City of Cape Town’s website for further elucidation of
aspects and policies mentioned in the presentation.
Location of the PHA: Western Cape
Source: Strategic Information, Strategic Development Information and GIS Department,
updated - 2008/09/29
How the PHA has shrunk over time.
Land
ownership in
PHA
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•
•
Almost entirely
privately owned land
Non-horticultural land
either wetland, dune,
or biodiversity.
Also illegal & nonconforming uses
Agriculture areas farmed in last 15 years
Farmed and non-farmed
areas in the Northern PHA
Summer: January 2007
Highlands
Estate
Ottery
Shopping
Centre
Varkensvlei Road
How water and farming challenges
differ from season to season
(black areas are water bodies).
Farmed and non-farmed
areas in the Northern PHA
Spring:
September 2007
Highlands
Estate
Ottery
Shopping
Centre
Varkensvlei Road
Cape Flats Aquifer
2km
Water Security Role: Cape Flats aquifer
Cape Flats Aquifer: Extent, Depth, Capacity & Quality
Yield: ±18 million m³/annum.
Aquifer transmissivity greatest
in south-east of PHA
Aquifer requires testing as a
potable source
Aquifer impacted negatively
by horticulture but toxin levels
‘acceptable’.
UNEPA study in 2006
concluded Cape Flats Aquifer
can possibly supply TWO
THIRDS of Cape Town’s
drinking water supply.
PHA farmers tap into aquifer
for all year production.
Present & Future: Predicted demand &
identified supply-side interventions
High Water Requirement Curve
4. Cape Flats Aquifer
Actual Water Requirement Curve
Low Water Requirement Curve with WC/WDM
Surface water in the PHA
Generally low-lying area,
due mainly to sand-mining
(agreement) down to 1m
above water table.
Numerous large perennial
wetlands & many seasonal
wetlands
Role of the PHA currently in the
City Metropolitan area
• Food security.
• Water security.
• Economic:
- Employment (farm labourers, packaging,
sorting, selling).
- Cut flowers.
• Mining:
– Building sand supply.
– High quality silica deposits (for glass manufacturing).
Food insecurity in Africa
Source: AFSUN_ African Urban Food Security Network_ Battersby
Food security in the Western Cape
Western Cape is a water scarce region:
(hot dry summers & semi-desert hinterland)
Mediterranean climate not conducive to domestic
vegetable gardening.
Western Cape identified as a climate change ‘at risk’
area.
Food security is about both production and access
80% of population in CT’s poor households estimated to
have food insecurity .
PHA’s Food Security Role
Philippi Horticultural Area has access to free water from the
Cape Flats Aquifer.
Very close to markets (most importantly for poor households)
Produces over 50 different crops & 50% of City’s fresh
vegetables.
Produces 100 000 tonnes /year at value R150m /year ‘at farm
gate’
Productivity at R90 000/ha - for viticulture it is R18 000/ha
Can produce 2,5x (5x in South –West ) crops p.a. due to cool
sea breezes
Close to two WWTW & potentially more water sources
Contributes to nutritional needs of 2 to 3 000 employees (2.5kg /
day)
Transport cost break-point: Refrigeration required beyond
120km
Unique productive green lung.
Agricultural land redistribution potential.
Massive opportunity for production & employment increases
(c.300%)
Agri-processing and research opportunities: (UWC’s
Elsenburg?)
Mining
Building sand:
Deposits in Cape Town area will last for 20
years
PHA the principal supplier, but remaining
deposits limited to south-east area
Mining permitted down to not lower than
general surface level of surrounding area
Glass sand:
Silica sand underlies entire PHA , but only
accessible near surface in centre
No comparable deposits anywhere in SA
Major deposit -15m deep & 315mill tons
Land surface rights:
Subject to Mineral & Petroleum Resources
Development Act
Stakeholders in the PHA
• City of Cape Town (Mayor Patricia de Lille) and
urban developers: 2 sites being contestedRapicorp and MSP for rezoning.
• Phillipi Farmers and civic associations:
spokesperson Nazeer Sonday.
• Communities in the Western Cape who are
supplied with fresh produce from the PHA.
Urban edge
• Urban edge – ineffective monitoring causing
problems.
• Illegal establishment of businesses in the urban
edge over time.
• Rezoning of land in the urban edge is being
considered from agricultural to mixed zoning,
due to the changes that have been allowed by
authorities through lack of monitoring in the
urban edge.
Issues being contested by stakeholders
• Proposed moving of the urban edge (making the
PHA smaller)- rezoning from horticulture to
mixed.
• The best farming land is in the south of the PHA.
This land is currently owned by developers and so
it is not being farmed. Farmers want this land.
• Farmers in the north experience difficulties with
farming (dry, limited water access, poor soil
quality). They are keen to sell their land to
developers and buy farming land in the south of
the PHA.
Political vs. professional
decision- making for areas like the PHA.
• Professional town planners and conservationists have a 100 year plan in
place for the PHA and other areas in the City Metropolitan area.
• Each time a political party wins an election (potentially every few years) ,
there is pressure on the party to deliver on promises made in elections or
to meet demands by communities in order to ensure continued support of
the party.
• Lack of funding can prevent timeous provision of infrastructure and
serviced sites to communities by municipalities (which are run by political
parties).
• By allowing developers to build housing developments with the intrinsic
infrastructure needed, some of the pressure on local municipalities to
provide serviced sites and infrastructure is alleviated, so developers have
leverage over politicians who benefit from the good press associated with
infrastructure delivery.
1. The City’s response and way
forward.
Increasing PHA
Challenges identified by
the City of Cape Town.
Lansdowne Road
Industrial Area
Springfield Road
Jabula
Speculation (MSP and Rapicorp
sites)
Weltevreden
Wedge
Williston
Potential irrigation viability problems
Egoli
Siqualo
Schaapkraal
Illegal development
Engen
Crime
Jim se Bos
Traffic congestion
Mixed press
Illegal dumping of solid waste
Rapicorp
Site
MSP Site
Smallville
Policy Responses from the City of Cape Town.
Cape Town Spatial Development Framework
Cape Flats District Plan
Latest Developments & Moving Ahead
Policy Responses from the City of Cape Town
Schaapkraal Urban Edge & Development
Guidelines Policy: draft
Latest Developments & Moving Ahead
City of Cape Town Policy Responses
Weltevreden Wedge Urban Edge &
Development Guidelines Policy: draft
Alternative land uses
in the PHA
Potential urban infill &
intensification areas
Area
Size (ha)
Land
Available
Youngsfield Military
Base
83
50%
Ottery
82
70%
Zeekoei Vlei sites
16
75%
Strandfontein East
76
80%
Pelican Park
160
70%
Strandfontein erf
1212*
67
70%
Strandfontein Coastal
Node
65
75%
Alternative land uses
in the PHA
Potential urban infill &
intensification areas
Area
Size (ha)
Land
Available
Lansdowne Road
Industrial Area*
109
80%
Schaapkraal
Smallholdings*
164
50%
Weltevreden Road
‘Wedge’*
207
60%
Rapicorp
472
70%
2. The Civic and farming associations
viewpoints and solutions:
The Civic and farming organisations
vision plan for the PHA.
The PHA Vision Plan
Creating a
win-win
solution
through
developing a
bold
communitydriven spatial
design plan!
The PHA Vision Plan
Developing a shared vision for the future
Local stakeholders:
• Schaapkraal Civic and
Environmental Association
• Developing farmers
Association
• Highlands Estate ratepayer
Association
• PHA Sector Crime Forum
• Commercial farmers
• Philippi Horticulture Housing
Committee
• Farmworkers ………..AND
The PHA Vision Plan
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Soil for Life
Abhalimi Bezekaya
Makassa Food Growers
LOGRA Civic
Coalition for Environmental Justice
The Khayelitsha Development Forum
The Mitchell’s Plain Education Forum
The Ottery Ratepayers Association
Centre for African Studies
African Food Security Urban Network
CoCT PEPCO study, 2009
Philippi East Development Initiative
False Bay Ecology Park
WESSA
And growing….
Supporters and fan club
Read it and get with it…
The reports and studies…………………………its unanimous!
1.
2.
3.
PHA Task Team Study, 2009 _________ save the PHA!
PHA AFSUN Report, 2012 ___________ save the PHA!
PHA Synthesis Report, 2013 __________ save the PHA!
Doing the democracy thing…
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Strong and proactive community
based organisations ____ check!
Input on IDP’s _________ check!
On-going ward councillors
engagements __________check!
Input in CoCT Spatial development
framework, 2011
_____________________ check!
Schaapkraal Civic and Environmental
Association- SCEA- meeting
Doing the democracy thing…
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•
Councillors and council officials on
a walk-about in the PHA
One day Subcouncil workshop on PHA
issues, 18 February 2012 __
______________________ check!
Subcouncil activity day, September
2012 _________________ check!
Doing the democracy thing…
• Meeting MEC Anton
Bredell, September
2012 _____________
____________check!
1.
2.
3.
Escalation of PHA illegal
dumping issues
Escalation of development
planning issues
Prof Battersby presenting
AFSUN PHA Report.
Doing the democracy thing…
Meeting the Executive
Mayor Patricia De Lille _8
November 2012 ___
_____________ check!
1.
2.
3.
Presenting PHA Vision Plan
Escalating PHA illegal
dumping issues.
Raising Housing issues for
informal settlement
community.
But the threat remains…
Rapicorp122 472ha Landgrab
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•
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16 October 2008 Rapicorp (marked in
blue) makes an application to the city for
the amendment of the Urban Structure
Plan to allow a housing development.
12 May 2009 CoCT commission on “to
plan for and manage the PHA into the
future” recommends that the area be
retained for farming.
26 November 2009 a full Council Meeting
resolves not to amend the Urban
Structure Plan as requested by Rapicorp
and confirmed the “current and potential
significant value of the PHA to the city’s
food and water security” and for land
reform.
But the threat remains…
•
4. In May 2011 the Cape Town Special
Development Framework (SDF) was approved
by Council in terms of the Municipal Systems
Act, within which the ‘Rapicorp’ land was
retained as part of the PHA.
•
5. March 2011 the MEC Anton Bredell
approves the Cape Town SDF in terms of the
Land Use Planning Ordinance (LUPO) but he
unilaterally redraws the urban edge to exclude
the future food growing capacity of the PHAthe ‘Rapicorp’ land.
•
16 July 2013 MAYCO announces it will support
300ha for urban development on farmlands
where veggies are growing for MSP developers
(marked in red).
How you can help….
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Please join our campaign
Talk to your councillor, talk to Zille and
President Zuma
Write a letter to the newspaper.
Talk to your local retail chain store manager.
Sign Save the PHA petition
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Contact us on:
Email: phaletters@gmail.com
Facebook: food & Farming for
the Cape Flats
nasonday@gmail.com
How can you become an activist for change?
• Talk to your school chommies, teachers,
parents
• Start a school petition.
• Sign and share the save the PHA AVAAZ
online petition.
• Like our Facebook page;
•
Food & Farming for the Cape Flats
• Write to:
• Mayor Patricia de Lille
•
Mayor.Mayor@capetown.gov.za
• Premier Helen Zille
•
premier@pgwc.gov.za
• Dear editor;
•
•
arglet@inl.co.za
ctletters@inl.co.za
Now you know the facts about the
PHA, you decide!