Sustained community pressure appears to have helped secure a new future for the Hartebeeskraal Thusong Centre. Last month, the City of Cape Town and the Western Cape Government announced an in-principle agreement that will see the facility remain a public asset instead of being disposed of.
The proposed agreement follows months of uncertainty over the future of the centre, which sparked widespread public opposition earlier this year. A community-led campaign called The People’s Process saw almost 15,000 residents sign a petition calling on the City to halt the proposed disposal of the property and protect the centre’s role as a vital community hub.
Under the proposed agreement, the City intends donating the property to the Western Cape Government, which will assume ownership and management of the facility. The Department of Social Development (DSD) will operate from the centre, while the Western Cape Department of Infrastructure will oversee refurbishment of the building before DSD takes occupation. Announcing the agreement, the City said the decision would safeguard access to essential government services while creating opportunities to expand social development programmes in Atlantis. “Rather than disposing of the property for commercial purposes, we have chosen a solution that safeguards its public purpose and provides certainty for the community well into the future,” said Alderman James Vos, Mayco Member for Economic Growth.
Western Cape Minister of Social Development, Jaco Londt, said the proposal was a direct response to concerns raised by residents about access to government services. Residents highlighted the need for improved access to government services. This in-principle agreement is a direct response to that call,” Londt said. For Allison Adams, a local resident instrumental in the success of the campaign, the announcement represents an important step, although she believes the community’s work is not yet complete. “The community played a significant role in this outcome. When the proposed disposal first became public, many residents were completely unaware of what was happening. Within three weeks, residents collected approximately 15,000 petition signatures. Volunteers walked door-to-door because they understood the importance of protecting a public asset that serves Atlantis.” She believes the campaign fundamentally changed the debate around the future of the property.
Adams welcomed the government’s commitment that the property will remain a public asset, but cautioned that ownership alone will not determine its success. “What matters is whether the facility is properly maintained, effectively managed and delivers the services the community actually needs,” she said. She also raised several outstanding concerns, including whether the announcement applies to the entire property or only the building, what will happen to the rezoning process previously initiated by the City, and why the community never received a formal response to its memorandum before the latest announcement. She also maintains that meaningful public participation should still take place, despite government stating that it is not legally required for the transfer of property between organs of state.
Vos said if Council approves the proposed transfer during its August meeting, the administrative transfer process is expected to be completed by January 2027. Once finalised, ownership, management and operational responsibility for the centre will rest with the Western Cape Government. Londt added that the transfer would enable greater operational capacity and improved service delivery. Once refurbishment has been completed, DSD will establish its Atlantis local office from the centre. Due to space constraints, the department expects to occupy most of the building together with SASSA,” he added
