The Hartebeeskraal Thusong Centre must serve the community and should not be sold for private use. It belongs to the people. It was built to serve the community, not private interests. Decisions about its future must include all affected communities.
These are the sentiments of thousands of residents from Atlantis, Mamre, Pella and Witsand, who signed a petition against the proposed sale of the Centre, located in Sherwood Park. At the beginning of this month, residents and community leaders began circulating hard-copy petitions to ensure that those without access to digital platforms could also record their opposition. The petitions are directed at both the City of Cape Town and the Western Cape Government, given earlier uncertainty around the ownership of the property and to prevent any sale from proceeding at any level of government. An online petition has also been made available at atlantis.controlhub.online to allow wider public participation.
The City has confirmed that it is the owner of the property on which the centre is situated. According to a City spokesperson, all relevant City departments confirmed that they have no need to have a presence in the centre. “In the absence of such need, the ongoing maintenance burden on the City cannot be justified. We have submitted correspondence to the national and provincial governments, offering them the facility for use for public services. As at 20 January 2026, they had not provided feedback. Once these engagements have been exhausted, and a clear response has been received, only then should disposal be considered,” said the spokesperson.
Several residents have expressed concern that years of neglect, the non-renewal of leases, and the gradual destabilisation of services are now being used to justify the disposal of public land, instead of efforts being made to restore and protect the facility.
To date, well over 9 500 signatures have been collected. Residents and community leaders have also sent close to 1 000 individual objection emails to the full leadership of Sub-council 1, formally mandating councillors to oppose any proposed disposal of the property. These objections were also copied to the City’s Executive Mayor and the City’s Public Participation Unit to formally place the community’s position on record.
The centre was developed in the 1990’s as part of a national initiative aimed at bringing government services and community support closer to historically marginalised communities. Community members believe the proposed sale is being driven through an administrative process that fails to recognise the social importance and original purpose of the property.
Allison Adams, a local activist, has been mobilising local communities to take a stand against the sale. She is also part of a group of residents who have been seeking legal assistance to take this matter forward. She said it has now come to light that during 2025, the City of Cape Town initiated a land-use and rezoning process for the property without effective or meaningful community participation. “Such a rezoning process can enable public land to be sold or repurposed for private use. This is deeply concerning, particularly because the Thusong Centre was never intended to be sold. It was created to serve the people of Atlantis by providing essential government and community services.”
But the City claims its formal public participation process has yet to commence, and consultation will still be undertaken. “All objections received during this process will be addressed in a report submitted to the full City Council for consideration as part of the disposal approval process. The Sub-council will also be formally notified to provide input and for further engagement with the relevant stakeholders,” they explained.
Adams said a detailed request for legal guidance has also been submitted to the People’s Legal Centre. This is to help residents understand whether proper legal and public participation procedures were followed.
