Residents in Delft have raised concerns over a construction project they say is blocking access to their homes, citing fears over safety, emergency access, and a lack of proper consultation.
The dispute centres on a church being built near Ngwenya Street, which residents claim will leave little to no space between their homes and the new structure.
Resident Linda Lumani said the situation has already disrupted daily life and could pose serious risks.
“They want to build right in front of our gates, which means we won’t even be able to get out of our yards because there will be a wall standing in front of us. Even ambulances won’t be able to access our homes,” Lumani said.
She added that residents are now forced to use alternative exits.
“At the moment, we are using our back doors for everything, but there are things we cannot do from the backyard. There is no space in front of our homes, and it is affecting us badly,” she said.
Lumani questioned the planning process, saying residents believed the area in front of their homes was meant to be a street.
“We have a street name, Ngwenya Street, but there is no street. Now they are building a wall where the road is supposed to be. Somewhere, the City has failed us,” she said.
In response, the City of Cape Town said the development complies with zoning regulations. Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Alderman Eddie Andrews, said the property is zoned for general business use, which allows for a place of worship as a primary right.
“A building plan application for a church building was submitted on 16 January 2023 and was found to be zoning compliant. The application was approved on 18 July 2024,” Andrews said.
He added that no public participation is required for compliant building plan applications. However, the City confirmed that the boundary wall currently under construction does not have valid approved plans.
“A notice will be served on the owner requiring the rectification of the unauthorised construction. Should the owner fail to comply, the matter will be referred to court,” Andrews said.
Photo: Supplied
