Cape Town - The craggy stretch of boulders and caves overlooking the sea at Bantry Bay and Clifton is to be developed as a tourist attraction.
Opening the inaccessible area up to the public by developing footpaths has been on the cards for a number of years. But, says Beverley Schafer, councillor for Clifton, this is the first time a commitment towards that goal has been made.
The area is being used by squatters who work or beg in the Clifton and Camps Bay area. Because it is difficult to reach and includes many caves, it is also used as a hideout by criminals who engage in burglaries, smash-and-grabs and muggings in the area, says Silvino Nunes, of the city’s Displaced People’s Unit.
“The area has become polluted,” said Bernard Schäfer, head of safety and security for the Camps Bay community.
“The human waste generated by people who live there flows into the ocean and can negatively impact on swimmers. The health and safety of people who live there is also compromised. The rocks get very slippery when it rains – we have lost two people in recent months due to falls. We hope that getting this area clean will be beneficial for all involved.”
On Friday, city officials and Stephen Lamb, from a company called Touching the Earth Lightly, surveyed the area. Lamb was the project manager for SANParks during the building of the six-day Hoerikwaggo hiking trail – which goes over the mountains from Cape Town to Cape Point.
That project, said Lamb, created 350 jobs over three years.
He envisages a similar scenario for the 800 metres of steep and rugged terrain in Bantry Bay and Clifton.
“Low-impact environmental regeneration and job creation – these should be our two areas of focus,” he said. “Like the Hoerikwaggo construction, this project will be low-tech and labour-intensive. There will not be a need for heavy machinery … most of the money can directly go towards benefiting the unemployed people.”
Schafer said:
“It is important that we assess the needs of the people living here. We need to take a census… It is important we engage with them and bring them on board.”
One such person is Lucky Charlie, 36, who has been living in a cave close to Clifton for five years. Charlie survives by begging for change and finding food in Checkers’ bins in Sea Point. - Cape Argus