Chairperson, Sea Point in Cape Town reflects much of the inner city suburbs in many of South Africa's biggest cities. Many people work there on a daily basis, travel long distances in order to reach their workplaces simply because they cannot afford to buy or rent in the area. Some of them have done so for decades and others for generations.
Sea Point has one aspect that differentiates it from other suburbs in our biggest cities. A substantial number of properties in Sea Point are owned by people who use them as holiday accommodation, many of them foreign citizens. As a result thereof many properties are standing empty for extended periods during the year.
Sea Point is a prime example of an area that can benefit from the ANC's policy of integrated housing. There is a clear need and justification for affordable housing to many people who work in that area. The absence and vacancy of much of the accommodation for the greater part of the year result in Sea Point becoming a target for criminal activity. This is especially true on the Main Road, which also forms the major business district.
Developing integrated housing in a suburb such as Sea Point will ensure that people and families who actually live and work in that area can create a vibrant community that can care for that area. Provincially, locally, and even nationally owned land is available, and the ANC government is urged to look at this land and establish whether it is possible to develop it into affordable housing for those many Capetonians from all walks of life working in Sea Point and surrounding areas. [Applause.]