Disha Govender, former head of the Ndifuna Ukwazi Law Centre, is the latest guest on the Crossing the Line podcast. She talked about some of the important cases the social justice organisation took on under her watch, including the sale of Tafelberg High School in Sea Point and the eviction of residents from Bromwell Street in Woodstock.
The Constitutional Court recently ruled that the sale of Tafelberg High School was illegal and that the province should rather build affordable housing on the site. This came after then Premier Helen Zille tried to sell of the land in 2015, a decision Ndifuna Ukwazi and other organisations such as Reclaim the City immediately opposed.
The Constitutional Court ruling has huge implication for state departments throughout the country, at all levels of government, said Govender.
“The Court has made certain statements that will impact how the state goes about disposing of land, when it goes about disposing of land. It has clarified the scope in which people can participate in those decisions, which then shapes the decisions that the state makes about land. It also clarifies the right to access adequate housing.
“That is really important because the court said that location isn’t just a peripheral factor to consider when you look at providing housing. It is incredibly important. This means that, whatever province or municipality you are in, you need to be aware of that and will have to consider it when you make decisions, especially about where you build affordable housing.
