Estate Living Magazine Design for living - Issue 42 June 2019 | Page 30

I N V E S T
&
D E V E L O P
READY
FOR
TAKEOFF
An educational initiative is providing the communities living around
Cape Town International Airport with access to home-building skills
and affordable housing – building communities, and laying the
foundation for the city’s long-term growth.
In early 2018, Cape Town International Airport received final
approval from the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) for
the construction of a new realigned runway. It’s a huge project.
Costing R3.8 billion and built to international specifications, the new
3,500-metre-long runway will enable growth of passenger and cargo
traffic into the Mother City, driving tourism and economic activity.
With more and bigger aircraft (like the Airbus A-380), it’s reason
to celebrate, says Cape Town International Airport spokesperson
Deidre Davids. ‘This project is about growth, not only for the airport
and the network of Airports Company South Africa airports, but also
for the region as a whole,’ she said at the announcement.
Naturally, the project could only begin after a DEA-approved
environmental impact assessment had been conducted. More
aircraft will inevitably mean more noise and more pollution …
and then there’s the potential social and political nightmare of the
three informal settlements – Freedom Farm, Malawi Camp and
Blikkiesdorp – located in the direct line of aircraft flight paths. You
won’t find those townships on any official maps, but if you’ve ever
driven to CTIA, you’ll know exactly where they are. Dusty, sandy and
ramshackle, the living conditions are unimaginably difficult, and the
people who make their homes there are desperate to work their way
out of poverty. Situated so close, these settlements are so far, far
removed from the jet-setting lifestyle of the nearby airport lounges.
Right at the start of the airport runway expansion project, back in
2014, Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) released a Final
Scoping Report that outlined the impact that the new runway would
have on these communities. At the time, ACSA said that it was