GOOD Statement by Brett Herron,
GOOD Secretary General & City of Cape Town Mayoral Candidate
18 October 2026
The GOOD Party has put the DA-led City of Cape Town on notice not to quietly dispose of any public land during Council recess.
The aim of the notice is to stop decisions being taken during the recess under delegated authority, with far less public scrutiny than usual. This is exactly when public land is most at risk.
In a letter dated 15 October 2026 addressed to the Mayor and copied to the City Manager, GOOD demanded reasons for decisions already taken on public land and community facilities, and the disclosure of transactions under consideration during the pre-election recess.
Three specific land deals were flagged.
- Herzlia Sports Ground, Vredehoek.
Reports to Subcouncil 16 in May and August 2026 record new lease restrictions that took effect on 1 October 2026. The City’s own May report acknowledges that many residents wanted to keep access for walking, running and informal sport. The reports give reasons for banning dogs, but they do not explain why all weekend access and formal ball games are also excluded. We have asked for those reasons.
- Gilray Scout Camp, Grassy Park
A report to Subcouncil 18 identifies possible public uses for the site, including housing. An email annexed to that report proposes a sale and refers to interested developers. We have asked whether disposal is now contemplated and whether a developer has approached the City. We have also asked how the public uses will be assessed before any sale is proposed.
- Camps Bay Library.
We have asked whether a sale is under consideration, whether a prospective purchaser has approached the City, and what steps have been taken.
We are also monitoring a proposal to lease the Pinelands Oval on terms that would restrict general public use, along with other property transactions under way.
At the same time, GOOD is taking legal advice on whether the City acted lawfully in leasing the Bellville Velodrome on terms that permanently exclude high-performance track cycling. The proposed replacement at Vygieskraal is planned only as a recreational and training facility.
Public land is held in trust for the people of Cape Town. When the City sells a library, a sports field or a scout camp, or locks it behind a restrictive lease, it moves a shared public amenity from the many to the few. Once a public amenity is lost, it is almost never replaced.
Section 14 of the Municipal Finance Management Act requires Council to weigh a public asset’s community value before transferring ownership, and to do so in a meeting open to the public. The DA-run City’s own immovable property policy provides for public participation. These safeguards exist because public assets belong to the public, not to the administration of the day.
GOOD calls on the City to impose an immediate moratorium on the privatisation of public land. The only exception should be land that cannot reasonably serve a public purpose.
A GOOD-led City will impose that moratorium. Until then, GOOD will take unlawful or irrational decisions to sell or lease public land on review.
Media Enquiries: media@forgood.org.za