CAPE TOWN – Concerned residents of Grassy Park are adamant that the future use of the abandoned Gilray should benefit to local community and addressed their visions during their first community meeting this year.
The meeting was organised by the Save Gilray Committee (SGC) and was described as an open meeting for ratepayers and residents on Tuesday 3 February, as the group continues campaigning to prevent the sale of the abandoned Gilray Scout camp site.
The meeting was held at League of Friends of the Blind (LOFOB) in Grassy Park and was opened by SGC chairperson, Terence Klaasen, with committee member Terence Smith detailing the group’s progress since its formation in 2025.
Scouts operated the camp from the 1950s. It has since become dilapidated particularly after constant targeting by vandals. SGC are opposed to the prospective sale of the site, Erf 75571, at 1 Klip Road.
The City of Cape Town is currently reviewing its options relating to the site, including its possible revamping. In the meantime, SGC started a petition that attracted nearly 4 000 signatures.
Background to the campaign
SGC’s vision for Gilray includes transforming the area into a hub for culture and arts, green economy initiatives, sports facilities, youth entrepreneurship programmes, and senior citizen amenities.
Committee member Ruche Daniels particularly opposed using the site for additional housing development, citing infrastructure concerns.
“You often hear there are so many pipe bursts and water outages in this whole ward, which includes Lotus River and Parkwood, because our infrastructure cannot carry more people at the moment,” Daniels explained.
Four-commission approach
At the recent meeting, four specialised commissions were established to address key areas of community interest that the Gilray site should be used for, namely: Heritage, Culture and Tourism; Youth, Sport and Green; and Economy & Recreation. Each commission was guided by dedicated facilitators to ensure inclusive discussions among representative stakeholder groups. During a prioritisation exercise, each commission selected and ranked their top three priorities from extensive discussions.
“All commissions then presented their prioritised ideas, highlighting remarkable cross-commission synergy in their visions for the site.”All attendees engaged actively, and the process set a clear path forward for the committee’s deliberations,” Klaasen noted.
Next steps outlined
The committee will now consolidate priorities from all four commissions while integrating community-submitted ideas. A public update will outline how suggestions are being prioritised, tested, and implemented, with clear timelines for decisions.
Residents who couldn’t attend the meeting are invited to submit ideas through the project webpage or email media@savegilray.org.
All submissions will be added to existing proposals and considered in follow-up work.
The City confirmed with People’s Post that the department has no further updates and that the site’s future use remains under review.
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