South Road families firm on route

City persists in court bid to get go-ahead on bus project

THE City’s third court bid to build a MyCiTi bus route, which will leave 26 families in Wynberg homeless, has been slated by residents’ associations in the area.

The South Road Families Association (SRFA) and Wynberg Residents’ and Ratepayers’ Association (WRRA) have shown support for the families, who will be left homeless if the City gets its wish to implement the MyCiTi bus route.

The route, from Khayelitsha to Wynberg, will cut through the residential area in South Road, demolishing the 26 families’ homes.

Last year the City demolished four of the homes.

Acting Judge Leslie Weinkove denied the City’s application for leave to appeal in a high court ruling made in favour of the SRFA on October 12 and October 26.

He ruled the City had failed to engage the community in “meaningful public participation” and had merely ticked all the boxes for the project to go ahead.

Yesterday, SRFA spokesperson Laurie Peregrino slammed the City for making another appeal, saying there was nothing different, except that the appeal has been made to the full court of the Western Cape High Court.

“The City doesn’t care that it is wasting taxpayers’ money and that it could be leaving 26 families homeless. They are clearly intent on bulldozing this process because it seems that agreements have been made with construction companies and now it’s all about the money,” Peregrino said.

WRRA chairperson Kristina Davidson slammed Mayco member for transport Brett Herron for saying the matter had become political after the ANC entered the fray in support of the SFRA.

“Herron says that this has become political and makes out that the ANC support for the South Road families is a bad thing.

“But in 2000-2002, when the DA was the opposition, the DA fought against the road when the ANC was the party in power, so how can the DA suggest that any form of political support against the proposed route is in any way incorrect?

“We find it curious that the City is now pushing for this same road plan disguised as a MyCiTi route,” Davidson said.

Herron said the date for the appeal hearing is still to be determined by the Registrar of the Court and “we cannot provide any further comment”.