Cape Town’s N2 wall: 94% OPPOSE plans, says survey

A survey polling thousands of participants about their stance on Cape Town’s proposed N2 Edge Safety Project has yielded alarming results – almost 94% have voiced their disapproval!

The barrier will reportedly cover a 9km stretch between the townships of Khayelitsha and Langa and will cost around R114 million, Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis announced earlier this year. 

While some have argued that the wall will protect motorists, commuters, and pedestrians from hijackings, smash-and-grabs, and stone-throwing incidents, others have claimed that it offers a short-term solution for combating crime.

N2 EDGE SAFETY PROJECT SURVEY: 94% SAY NO TO WALL

This week, author, researcher, and activist Candice Leigh King published The People’s Cost of Care Report, the results of a survey about Cape Town’s proposed N2 Edge Safety Project.

Here are some of her key findings:

• 17 200 people particiated in th poll, which was created on a Google form and shared on social media.
• 93.9% opposed the wall, 4.3% supported it, and 1.8% were unsure of their stance.
• Many who opposed the wall did not believe that the project was the best way to address or solve crime.  They also objected to the proposed R114 million budget allocation, which they felt could be spent elsewhere. 
• Preferred alternatives included education and skills development initiatives, job creation, housing, infrastructure and shelters for women who suffered gender-based violence, which ranked higher up on a list of community investment options.
• Participants believe many of these alernatives could help tackle poverty and crime within the communities affected by the N2 wall.
• Respondents also rejected the concept of a physical barrier.
• Almost a quarter of participants live in the Cape Flats, whilst 22.4% reported having family living there.

“If we want to know what the best solution is, the best people to ask are people on the ground with lived experiences”, King told Cape Talk this week.

WHEN WILL CONSTRUCTION COMMENCE?

The City of Cape Town’s N2 Edge Safety project will cover a 9km stretch of the N2 between Baden Powell Road near Khayelitsha and Bhunga Avenue in Langa. The city has budgeted approximately R114 million for the project. 

While there has been pushback from residents, political parties and activists, Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has stated that the barrier will protect both local communities and commuters.

He said: “The project will not only repair safety barriers and install new ones. It will also bring various other safety improvements for adjacent communities, including pedestrian crossings, improved lighting, safer grazing practices for livestock and reduced spaces for illegal dumping.”