Philippi farmers challenge City on rezoning of agricultural land
16 October 2019
Farmers and workers held posters and sang on the steps of the Western Cape High Court on Tuesday. They were protesting against plans to rezone part of the Philippi Horticultural Area (PHA) in Cape Town for development, GroundUp reports.
The Philippi Horticultural Area Food and Farming Campaign and its convenor Nazeer Sonday have brought a case against the City of Cape Town and the MEC for Local Development, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, contesting "administrative decisions" that allowed the rezoning of a portion of the PHA for mixed-use development.
The campaign says the PHA has been farmed for over 130 years, providing 80% of Cape Town's carrots as well as 200 000 tons of vegetables per year, and is indirectly connected to 30 000 jobs. It's also "the primary recharge zone of the Cape Flats Aquifer and could potentially (with a proper aquifer management plan) provide one-third of Cape Town's potable water".
"This particular court case is precedent-setting. If we lose, we will lose the rest of the Philippi Horticultural Area, and the Cape Flats Aquifer," said Sonday. "Everyone is affected by what happens to the PHA."