Bold Idea: The Phillippi Horticultural Area is vital for Cape Town's food and water security. The aim is to preserve this unique agricultural area while allowing for sustainable development through democratic processes. This is a bold idea because the City wants to develop the land without properly considering the impact this will have on the city's food and water security, and presents a community vision for the future of Cape Town's breadbasket. Speaker: Nazeer Ahmed Sonday. For more information: phaletters@gmail.com

3. Where does your
food come from?

4. Philippi Horticultural Area
Then
Now
Feeding Cape Town since the 1600’s

5. Cape Town what can we do for you?
Feeling hungry?
PHA produces 48 vegetable types including herbs
and flowers totalling 50% of fresh vegetables
consumed in Cape Town.

6. Feeling hungry?
PHA farmers employ 3000 workers- vulnerable groups
including illiterate women, youth, unskilled workers

7. Feeling hungry?
PHA offers exciting opportunity for growing more food for a
growing city while also stabilising the price of food.
Agriculture in the PHA is healthy and needs land to expand

8. Food security is the No 1 challenge for cities
Source: AFSUN_ African Urban Food Security Network_ Battersby
Food security is achieved when all members of a household
have enough food to eat at all times.
80% of our
fellow Cape
Townians are
food insecure
because of
poverty,
unemployment
and inequality.

9. Growing population- growing food need
Population Projection 2001 to 2021
The population in Cape Town is expected to grow by
nearly 17% over the 20-year projection period
Source: Strategic Information, Strategic Development Information and GIS
Department, updated - 2008/09/29

10. The value of the PHA
• If we lose the PHA
food will need to be
trucked in from
outside Cape Town
at high cost.
• The PHA is Cape
Town‟s insurance
policy against high
food prices.
Local is lekker!

11. • ½ of Beijing‟s vegetables come
from the city‟s urban market
gardens
• Hanoi‟s (Vietnam) urban market
gardens produce over 150 000
tons of vegetables
• Urban market gardens in Cuba
produce 60% of the cities
vegetables needs.
• Kinshasa (DRC) urban market
gardens produce over 80 000 tons
(65%) of cities vegetables.
• Cape Town‟s market garden
(PHA) produce 50% of the city‟s
vegetables. Only 30% reaches the
poor.
The value of the PHA
Increase production= cheaper
prices & better access

12. • Access to Cape Flats Aquifer
• Critical for food security
• Land reform for black farmers
• Potential to develop new farm to plate
model
• Unique space
• Unique agricultural tradition
• Unique tourist potential
• Potential agri & enviro education and
awareness hub
• Promote better nutrition through
increased vegetable consumption
(an estimated 2.7m lives can be saved every
year through increased vegetable
consumption-FAO)
The value of the PHA

13. Cape Town what can we do for you?
Feeling thirsty?
• South Africa is one of the driest countries in the world.
• WWF estimates SA water demand will outstrip supply by 2015.

14. Feeling thirsty?
• PHA farmers tap into aquifer for all year production
• UNEPA study in 2006 concluded Cape Flats Aquifer can
supply Cape Town 2/3 drinking water supply

15. The PHA ecology
• 7 reptilian species
• 4 amphibian species
• 95 plants species
• 98 bird species

16. The PHA ecology
Seasonal wetlands recharge Cape Flats Aquifer.

17. The PHA ecology
Opportunities for environmental education and awareness

18. The PHA ecology
Opportunities for agricultural awareness and education

19. The PHA ecology
Opportunities for a new tourism route…

20. The PHA Vision Plan
A bold
community-
driven spatial
design plan!
We
want
win- win
solutions!

21. The PHA Vision Plan
Local stakeholders:
1. Schaapkraal Civic and
Environmental Association
2. Developing farmers
Association
3. Highlands Estate ratepayer
Association
4. PHA Sector Crime Forum
5. Commercial farmers
6. Philippi Horticulture
Housing Committee
7. Farmworkers
Developing a shared vision for the future

22. • 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
• Philippi East Development Initiative
• African Centre for Cities
• False Bay Ecology Park
• WESSA
• Future Cape Town
• The Cape Bird Club
• The Greater Cape Town Civic
Alliance
• Greenpop
• Springfield High School
• Mount View High School
• South Peninsula High School
• And growing…
Social mobilisation

23. Read it and get with it…
1. PHA Rapid Review Study, 2009 _______ save the PHA!
2. Rooftops Report, 2012 _____________ save the PHA!
3. PHA Synthesis Report, 2013 __________ save the PHA!
The reports and studies…………………………its unanimous!

24. 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

25. 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

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

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

28. But the threat remains…
Rapicorp122 472ha Landgrab with the help of a friend
• 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.

29. 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.
• 31 July 2013 council voted to redraw the urban
edge and starts an avalanche of protest.

30. PHA in Khayelitsha Food Security Summit Declarations
1. To protect all agricultural-zoned
land within the City of Cape Town
and on the urban edge from
opportunistic attempts to rezone
and/or sell such land;
2. To support the objections to all
attempts to rezone the Philippi
Horticultural Area, including the
consideration of legal steps to
secure this land for urban
agriculture. In particular, the
Summit agreed to organise a
special presentation to the
leadership of KDF and MPEF as
well as the steering committee
concerning the 475 hectares
Rapicorp 122 land; (25 May 2013)

31. Farm to Plate food model
Putting small scale farmers, the people who distribute and
consume food at the centre of the food system.
• Turning growing
food into a
profitable small
business.
• Improving
livelihoods,
creating jobs and
improving food
security.
But this is another story
for another day….

32. How can you become an activist for change?
• Talk to your friends & family and help spread the
word
• Invite us to do a PHA food security presentation to
your organisation, school or club.
• Sign and share our AVAAZ petition “Cape Towns
breadbasket and vital aquifer under serious threat”
• Talk to your retailer and ask them to support our
campaign. Its in your interest.
• Like our facebook page;
• Food & Farming for the Cape Flats
• Write to:
• Premier Helen Zille
• premier@pgwc.gov.za
• Dear editor;
• arglet@inl.co.za (The Argus)
• ctletters@inl.co.za (Cape Times)
• Contact us on:
• phaletters@gmail.com
• nasonday@gmail.com
• Look out for our
website coming
soon…