Indigenous leaders raise alarm over exclusion

THE City of Cape Town is defending its land disposal programme following a wave of criticism from Indigenous groups, with the Oedasoa Cochoqua Royal Kingdom warning that the process risks deepening exclusion among already marginalised communities.

- MURRAY SWART

The concerns come after a February land auction that drew significant opposition from a coalition of Indigenous bodies, civic organisations and political groupings, who labelled the process a “neocolonial land grab” and threatened legal action to halt it.

Critics, however, argued that well-located public land was being prioritised for private development over social need, raising questions about whether meaningful public participation had taken place.

"Our concern is not merely procedural, it is human," said Yvonne Braaf, speaking for the Oedasoa Cochoqua Royal Kingdom.

Across Indigenous and historically disadvantaged communities, particularly among the youth, the group said there is growing frustration driven by unemployment, limited opportunities and daily social pressures.