Better use of Erf 81

I READ with interest, the article, “The case for saving Erf 81” (Cape Times insight, July 28).

As much as there is an urgent need to maximise green space opportunities within the city, what is happening at the old military magazine precinct on Erf 81 is not the way to go.

Every time there is a threat of eviction, the current tenant runs to neighbours seeking support to justify his staying on the property, and the report in the Cape Times smacks of the same.

As a resident in the area, I am disgusted to see that a facility of such potential is looking more each day like a city dump site than a precinct of historical importance.

I note that only the feel-good pictures appear in the report, but no comment is made of the filth and squalor that abounds on the property.

Animals are left to roam freely with no care for their well-being and are becoming a health hazard, especially in winter when the site is awash with mud and animal droppings.

The property has become an easy target for vandals as the perimeter fencing is in need of repair, with who knows how many people occupying the derelict buildings, all under the eyes of the current tenant.

This property has huge potential and can be better used to serve the community as a valuable food source, rather than the mismanaged mess that is now Erf 81.

If government wants a “Good Story to tell” then let’s fix Erf 81 for the benefit of all our citizens, especially those in desperate need of food security.