CAPE TOWN – Blaauwberg residents are preparing for a peaceful protest on Saturday 6 December in opposition to proposed housing developments inside the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station’s Urgent Protective Action Zone (UPZ). The demonstration will take place from 10:00 to 11:00 on the corner of the R27 and Table Bay Mall, with a mandatory safety briefing at 09:45 in the mall parking area.
The Community Representation for Blaauwberg (CRB), which is organising the event, said the City of Cape Town’s Big Bay Local Spatial Development Framework (LSDF) was placing thousands of people at risk by proposing large-scale housing within the UPZ, without providing the required nuclear-evacuation modelling. Participants had been urged to bring their own placards, avoid political slogans and refrain from displaying any party flags or branding.
According to CRB, the LSDF could add 10 000-25 000 new residents, primarily affordable housing opportunities, within an area where national regulations demand proven evacuation feasibility. No Traffic Evacuation Model (TEM) had been released to the public, despite the R27 being the sole evacuation route.
Fears over nuclear risks and biodiversity loss
Much of the controversy centres on Erf 1117, a bio-sensitive site adjacent to the R27 and diagonally opposite Table Bay Mall. The land, long known for crime concerns and historically linked to the Department of Public Works, is now earmarked for high-density housing under the LSDF.
CRB said the site fell within the 5-16 km Koeberg UPZ, where any population increase requires stringent nuclear-safety evaluations.
“The dangers are not hypothetical,” said Michelle Collins, chair of CRB Blaauwberg. “During unrest on the Dunoon-Malibongwe corridor, a key evacuation route, roads were blocked and impassable. If it can happen during protest it could certainly happen during an emergency.”
Residents argue that placing thousands more people in the UPZ without proven evacuation capacity is “reckless, unlawful, and in violation of National Nuclear Regulator guidelines.”
Local resident Mark Hutton added: “We support housing initiatives, but this is not the place. You cannot guarantee safety in a nuclear emergency with so many people packed in here.”
Environmental concerns were equally pressing. Erf 1117 is classified as a Critical Biodiversity Area (CBA1a) in the City’s 2025 Spatial Biodiversity Plan and forms part of the Unesco Cape West Coast Biosphere Reserve, including ecologically important wetlands.
“Destroying this land is irreversible,” said resident Sarah Dane. “Wetlands cannot simply be recreated. This is about safeguarding ecosystems already under immense pressure.”
Residents challenge planning process and call for accountability
Collins said the development contradicts the City’s own Human Settlements Strategy (2021), which recommended that housing expansion in Blaauwberg be focused in Du Noon and Joe Slovo, not within the nuclear-safety zone.
“Promoting Erf 1117 now raises serious questions about political expedience overriding public safety and lawful governance,” she said.
Concerns also emerged about reports of a possible Public-private partnership (PPP) involving DPWI and Human Settlements. Critics warn that such a partnership may prioritise financial interests over safety and environmental integrity.
“Residents’ voices are being sidelined,” says community member Andre van Wyk. “The process feels predetermined and designed to benefit private interests.”
Political representatives have also flagged red flags. Freedom Front Plus councillor Pieter Jansen van Vuuren noted that the proposed density of 30 000 people would far exceed surrounding neighbourhoods and breach NNR guidelines for low-density development within the UPZ.
“Until full risk assessments are made public development here should not proceed,” he said.
The public is urged to bring their own placards, no political slogans, no hate speech and no party flags or branding for the peaceful protest on Saturday.
