1. Phillipi Horticultural Area (PHA)
Human impact on the environment Gr

2. Conditions of use of this overview of the PHA ppt presentation, articles and worksheets.
This presentation is intended to introduce you, the educator, to the complexities of the PHA and to equip you to potentially use this local case study to give students a hands-on overview of this section of the syllabus, as it is topical, controversial and relevant.
It is a compilation of slides extracted from talks given by Nazeer Sonday (spokesperson for the farmers and other organisations aiming to preserve the PHA) and a professional City of Cape Town planner and conservationist to a school’s learners, as well as some comments and discussions held amongst learners at the school after the presentations. The material presented is NOT to be used as such for other presentations please, as it is not original.
Newspaper articles clipped from the Cape Times have been scanned and possible aspects which can be investigated accompany this overview. The worksheets and accompanying suggestions for approaching this topic are original and may be used for educational purposes at your school.
Please consult the City of Cape Town’s website for further elucidation of aspects and policies mentioned in the presentation.

3. Location of the PHA: Western Cape

4. Source: Strategic Information, Strategic Development Information and GIS Department, updated /09/29

7. How the PHA has shrunk over time.

8. Land ownership in PHA Almost entirely privately owned land
Non-horticultural land either wetland, dune, or biodiversity.
Also illegal & non-conforming uses

9. Agriculture areas farmed in last 15 years

10. Farmed and non-farmed areas in the Northern PHA
Highlands Estate
Strandfontein Road
Ottery Shopping Centre
Olieboom Road
Varkensvlei Road
Boundary Road
Ottery Road
Summer: January 2007

11. How water and farming challenges differ from season to season (black areas are water bodies).

12. Farmed and non-farmed areas in the Northern PHA
Highlands Estate
Spring: September 2007
Ottery Road
Ottery Shopping Centre
Olieboom Road
Strandfontein Road
Boundary Road
Varkensvlei Road

13. Cape Flats Aquifer
2km

14. Water Security Role: Cape Flats aquifer
Cape Flats Aquifer: Extent, Depth, Capacity & Quality
Yield: ±18 million m³/annum.
Aquifer transmissivity greatest in south-east of PHA
Aquifer requires testing as a potable source
Aquifer impacted negatively by horticulture but toxin levels ‘acceptable’.
UNEPA study in 2006 concluded Cape Flats Aquifer can possibly supply TWO THIRDS of Cape Town’s drinking water supply.
PHA farmers tap into aquifer for all year production.

15. Present & Future: Predicted demand &
identified supply-side interventions
High Water Requirement Curve
4. Cape Flats Aquifer
Actual Water Requirement Curve
Low Water Requirement Curve with WC/WDM

16. Surface water in the PHA
Generally low-lying area, due mainly to sand-mining (agreement) down to 1m above water table.
Numerous large perennial wetlands & many seasonal wetlands

17. Role of the PHA currently in the City Metropolitan area
Food security.
Water security.
Economic:
- Employment (farm labourers, packaging, sorting, selling).
- Cut flowers.
Mining:
Building sand supply.
High quality silica deposits (for glass manufacturing).

18. Food insecurity in Africa
Source: AFSUN_ African Urban Food Security Network_ Battersby

19. Food security in the Western Cape
Western Cape is a water scarce region:
(hot dry summers & semi-desert hinterland)
Mediterranean climate not conducive to domestic vegetable gardening.
Western Cape identified as a climate change ‘at risk’ area.
Food security is about both production and access
80% of population in CT’s poor households estimated to have food insecurity .

20. PHA’s Food Security Role
Philippi Horticultural Area has access to free water from the Cape Flats Aquifer.
Very close to markets (most importantly for poor households)
Produces over 50 different crops & 50% of City’s fresh vegetables.
Produces tonnes /year at value R150m /year ‘at farm gate’
Productivity at R90 000/ha - for viticulture it is R18 000/ha
Can produce 2,5x (5x in South –West ) crops p.a. due to cool sea breezes
Close to two WWTW & potentially more water sources
Contributes to nutritional needs of 2 to employees (2.5kg / day)
Transport cost break-point: Refrigeration required beyond 120km
Unique productive green lung.
Agricultural land redistribution potential.
Massive opportunity for production & employment increases (c.300%)
Agri-processing and research opportunities: (UWC’s Elsenburg?)

21. Mining
Building sand:
Deposits in Cape Town area will last for 20 years
PHA the principal supplier, but remaining deposits limited to south-east area
Mining permitted down to not lower than general surface level of surrounding area
Glass sand:
Silica sand underlies entire PHA , but only accessible near surface in centre
No comparable deposits anywhere in SA
Major deposit -15m deep & 315mill tons
Land surface rights:
Subject to Mineral & Petroleum Resources Development Act

22. Stakeholders in the PHA
City of Cape Town (Mayor Patricia de Lille) and urban developers: 2 sites being contested-Rapicorp and MSP for rezoning.
Phillipi Farmers and civic associations: spokesperson Nazeer Sonday.
Communities in the Western Cape who are supplied with fresh produce from the PHA.

23. Urban edge Urban edge – ineffective monitoring causing problems.
Illegal establishment of businesses in the urban edge over time.
Rezoning of land in the urban edge is being considered from agricultural to mixed zoning, due to the changes that have been allowed by authorities through lack of monitoring in the urban edge.

24. Issues being contested by stakeholders
Proposed moving of the urban edge (making the PHA smaller)- rezoning from horticulture to mixed.
The best farming land is in the south of the PHA. This land is currently owned by developers and so it is not being farmed. Farmers want this land.
Farmers in the north experience difficulties with farming (dry, limited water access, poor soil quality). They are keen to sell their land to developers and buy farming land in the south of the PHA.

25. Political vs. professional decision- making for areas like the PHA.
Professional town planners and conservationists have a 100 year plan in place for the PHA and other areas in the City Metropolitan area.
Each time a political party wins an election (potentially every few years) , there is pressure on the party to deliver on promises made in elections or to meet demands by communities in order to ensure continued support of the party.
Lack of funding can prevent timeous provision of infrastructure and serviced sites to communities by municipalities (which are run by political parties).
By allowing developers to build housing developments with the intrinsic infrastructure needed, some of the pressure on local municipalities to provide serviced sites and infrastructure is alleviated, so developers have leverage over politicians who benefit from the good press associated with infrastructure delivery.

26. 1. The City’s response and way forward.

27. Lansdowne Road Industrial Area
Weltevreden
Wedge
Rapicorp
Site
MSP Site
Springfield Road
Jabula
Williston
Engen
Smallville
Siqualo
Egoli
Jim se Bos
Schaapkraal
Increasing PHA Challenges identified by the City of Cape Town.
Speculation (MSP and Rapicorp sites)
Potential irrigation viability problems
Illegal development
Crime
Traffic congestion
Mixed press
Illegal dumping of solid waste

28. Policy Responses from the City of Cape Town.
Cape Town Spatial Development Framework
Cape Flats District Plan

29. Latest Developments & Moving Ahead
Policy Responses from the City of Cape Town
Schaapkraal Urban Edge & Development Guidelines Policy: draft

30. Latest Developments & Moving Ahead
City of Cape Town Policy Responses
Weltevreden Wedge Urban Edge & Development Guidelines Policy: draft

31. Alternative land uses in the PHA
Potential urban infill &
intensification areas
Area
Size (ha)
Land Available
Youngsfield Military Base 83
50%
Ottery 82
70%
Zeekoei Vlei sites 16
75%
Strandfontein East 76
80%
Pelican Park
160
Strandfontein erf 1212* 67
Strandfontein Coastal Node 65

32. Alternative land uses in the PHA
Potential urban infill &
intensification areas
Area
Size (ha)
Land Available
Lansdowne Road Industrial Area*
109
80%
Schaapkraal Smallholdings*
164
50%
Weltevreden Road ‘Wedge’*
207
60%
Rapicorp
472
70%

33. 2. The Civic and farming associations viewpoints and solutions:

34. The Civic and farming organisations vision plan for the PHA.

35. The PHA Vision Plan Creating a win-win
solution through developing a bold community-driven spatial design plan!

36. Developing a shared vision for the future
The PHA Vision Plan
Developing a shared vision for the future
Local stakeholders:
Schaapkraal Civic and Environmental Association
Developing farmers Association
Highlands Estate ratepayer Association
PHA Sector Crime Forum
Commercial farmers
Philippi Horticulture Housing Committee
Farmworkers ………..AND

37. The PHA Vision Plan Supporters and fan club Soil for Life
Abhalimi Bezekaya
Makassa Food Growers
LOGRA Civic
Coalition for Environmental Justice
The Khayelitsha Development Forum
The Mitchell’s Plain Education Forum
The Ottery Ratepayers Association
Centre for African Studies
African Food Security Urban Network
CoCT PEPCO study, 2009
Philippi East Development Initiative
False Bay Ecology Park
WESSA
And growing….
Supporters and fan club

38. Read it and get with it…
The reports and studies…………………………its unanimous!
PHA Task Team Study, 2009 _________ save the PHA!
PHA AFSUN Report, ___________ save the PHA!
PHA Synthesis Report, 2013 __________ save the PHA!

39. Doing the democracy thing…
Strong and proactive community based organisations ____ check!
Input on IDP’s _________ check!
On-going ward councillors engagements __________check!
Input in CoCT Spatial development framework, 2011 _____________________ check!
Schaapkraal Civic and Environmental Association- SCEA- meeting

40. Doing the democracy thing…
One day Subcouncil workshop on PHA issues, 18 February 2012 __ ______________________ check!
Subcouncil activity day, September 2012 _________________ check!
Councillors and council officials on a walk-about in the PHA

41. Doing the democracy thing…
Meeting MEC Anton Bredell, September 2012 _____________ ____________check!
Escalation of PHA illegal dumping issues
Escalation of development planning issues
Prof Battersby presenting AFSUN PHA Report.

42. Doing the democracy thing…
Meeting the Executive Mayor Patricia De Lille _8 November 2012 ___ _____________ check!
Presenting PHA Vision Plan
Escalating PHA illegal dumping issues.
Raising Housing issues for informal settlement community.

43. But the threat remains…
Rapicorp ha Landgrab
16 October 2008 Rapicorp (marked in blue) makes an application to the city for the amendment of the Urban Structure Plan to allow a housing development.
12 May 2009 CoCT commission on “to plan for and manage the PHA into the future” recommends that the area be retained for farming.
26 November 2009 a full Council Meeting resolves not to amend the Urban Structure Plan as requested by Rapicorp and confirmed the “current and potential significant value of the PHA to the city’s food and water security” and for land reform.

44. But the threat remains…
4. In May 2011 the Cape Town Special Development Framework (SDF) was approved by Council in terms of the Municipal Systems Act, within which the ‘Rapicorp’ land was retained as part of the PHA.
5. March 2011 the MEC Anton Bredell approves the Cape Town SDF in terms of the Land Use Planning Ordinance (LUPO) but he unilaterally redraws the urban edge to exclude the future food growing capacity of the PHA- the ‘Rapicorp’ land.
16 July 2013 MAYCO announces it will support 300ha for urban development on farmlands where veggies are growing for MSP developers (marked in red).

45. How you can help…. Please join our campaign
Talk to your councillor, talk to Zille and President Zuma
Write a letter to the newspaper.
Talk to your local retail chain store manager.
Sign Save the PHA petition
Contact us on:
Facebook: food & Farming for the Cape Flats

46. How can you become an activist for change?
Talk to your school chommies, teachers, parents
Start a school petition.
Sign and share the save the PHA AVAAZ online petition.
Like our Facebook page;
Food & Farming for the Cape Flats
Write to:
Mayor Patricia de Lille
Premier Helen Zille
Dear editor;

47. Now you know the facts about the PHA, you decide!