Cape Town residents living near the N2 have pushed back against the City of Cape Town’s planned R114 million edge safety project, saying the money could be used to address more urgent community needs.
The project includes a wall along a nine-kilometre stretch of the N2. The City says it is intended to improve safety for people travelling along the route and forms part of a wider package of upgrades.
Residents question spending priorities
Community organisation Movement for Care held a meeting at Cissie Gool House in Woodstock on Wednesday night, where residents, activists and community groups discussed the project and the City’s spending priorities.
Residents from areas including Langa, Khayelitsha and Bonteheuwel voiced strong opposition to the wall. Some argued that public money should instead be directed towards housing, social development and safety inside communities.
Concerns were also raised about extortion in informal settlements, with residents saying they want greater protection where they live.
Movement for Care co-ordinator Nkosikona Swaartbooi said residents had not been meaningfully engaged about the project. He argued that the City appeared to be focusing more on the safety of N2 commuters than on the people who would live next to the wall.
City says wall forms part of safety plan
The City has defended the project, saying the proposed upgrades are not limited to a wall.
Plans include new pedestrian crossings, improved lighting, access control measures and reinforced barriers along the route.
Mayco member for Urban Mobility Rob Quintas said the project is still in its early planning phase. He added that technical, statutory and governance processes are still under way.
The debate comes as residents continue to question whether the R114 million allocation reflects the most pressing needs in communities bordering the N2.
For those opposing the project, the main concern is not only the wall itself, but whether residents have had enough say in how public funds are prioritised.
According to EWN, which originally reported on the residents’ meeting, the City announced the N2 edge safety project earlier this year.
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