The City of Cape Town relaunched its mega flagship ACSA Symphony Way housing project on Monday, March 10, 2025 in Delft and Commemorated slain official Wendy Kloppers. She was a dedicated City official and was murdered in 2023 by extortionist gangs while she was visiting the site.
Reportedly, the project was put on hold after the murder expected to benefit almost 3500 informal settlement residents. The ACSA Symphony Way housing project will work on Site-A that will yield 1766 housing opportunities. It estimated that the completion of Site-A will be done by the second half of the year 2028, if all goes according to the plan. It will also help them in protecting their projects such as End Extortion, Enough, Genoeg and Kwanele.
Considering this, Member of the Mayoral Committee for Human Settlements – Councillor Carl Pophaim said that it is the R400 million flagship project that comprises of two sites i.e. Site-A and Site-B. It is one of the largest housing developments of the City of Cape Town that will yield roughly 3,469 housing opportunities for beneficiaries and their families once completed.
The project is expected to accommodate three informal settlement communities that are Malawi Camp, Freedom Farm and Blikkiesdorp, that has been used as a settlement for anyone that needs emergency housing.
The qualifying residents from these areas are a significant part of this relaunch and that is why they had representatives from the three settlements at the meeting. The relaunch marks a renewed commitment to deliver dignified housing opportunities while also remembering the legacy of Wendy Kloppers, who was a dedicated city official and was senselessly murdered on Feb 16, 2023 while serving the community.
Carl Pophaim expressed that they are committed to see this project reaching to its conclusion for the benefit of some of the most vulnerable beneficiaries. It is absolutely critical that members of the community help them to complete this project without further criminal interference.
The officials want to see the beneficiaries move into their new homes as soon as possible so that they may begin the next phase of their lives in safety and comfort. Then they can know that Wendy’s memory was honoured in some small way. This is beyond devastating that this project was impacted severely by criminality and extortion in extreme way.
They cannot allow the criminals to impact the projects in becoming the norm. The officials are fighting it with everything they have. They are focused on reducing the risks, tightening security and monitoring the area.
As per the sources, the criminals cannot and will not be allowed to take additional lives and housing opportunities from those who need them the most.
Pophaim cleared that as a city, they will continue to do everything the can to ensure that the beneficiaries receive their opportunities. It is only by working with the communities that will overcome the challenges.
“This is why we must continue to say Enough is Enough and stand together to fight criminality and extortion. Together we can make a difference and instil hope for the residents of Cape Town,” concluded Carl Pophaim.
Once the project gets completed, it will allow Airport Company South Africa (ACSA) to expand the Cape Town International Airport which will include the re-alignment of the existing runway and ultimately the development of a second parallel runway.
According to the signed Memorandum of Agreement (MOA-2015) between ACSA and the City of Cape Town, the target areas for the housing project will be Blikkiesdorp, Malawi Camp and Freedom Farm.
Moreover, with all city projects, the qualifying beneficiaries are objectively assessed in terms of the Housing Needs Register and the Allocation Policy by the city, which is an objective tool within a fair and independent process.