The Housing Assembly is challenging the approval of a proposed hyperscale data centre near Cape Town International Airport, raising concerns over its potential impact on water, electricity and surrounding communities.
The Municipal Planning Tribunal approved the application on 14 July, but activists have since lodged an appeal, temporarily halting the approval while the process continues.
Housing Assembly activist Kenneth Matlawe said the organisation’s objection was rejected by the tribunal, but argued that the development should not be treated as a technical land-use matter.
“Our main point for us as Housing Assembly is that it’s not just about consultation. This thing is about public participation,” Matlawe said.
The proposed facility at King Air Industria, which could accommodate one or two data centres, is expected to require more than 170 megawatts of electricity and about 4.4-billion litres of water a year.
Matlawe raised particular concern about the facility’s proximity to Barcelona informal settlement, where residents have reported challenges accessing reliable water and electricity.
“Imagine a centre, a hyperscale data centre that would take up about 4 billion litres of water annually. That would directly compete with a community like Barcelona Informal Settlement,” he said.
He also questioned claims around job creation, arguing that many of the jobs associated with the development would be temporary construction positions.
The appeal is also challenging what activists describe as gaps in information about the centre’s potential impact on water, electricity, noise and emissions.
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