Cape Town should not sacrifice its water for data centres
As the Western Cape champions data centres as the 'engine of the future economy,' this article critically examines the hidden cost: water. Drawing parallels with water-scarce Querétaro, Mexico, it questions whether economic growth should come at the expense of a fundamental necessity, especially for a city like Cape Town that nearly faced Day Zero.
The 2026 Local Government elections in South Africa are reminiscent of three significant political events that occurred in 1880, 1899, and 1948. These elections highlight the ongoing question of whether South Africans are given enough respect to shape their own identity or remain mere subjects of a foreign narrative. The Anglo-Boer Wars in the past saw the Afrikaner people fight for their cultural and religious identity and subsequently establish their nationhood, separate from British rule.
The 1948 election saw the Afrikaner assert dominance over Black people, implementing policies that elevated their status while dehumanising the indigenous Black population.
As South Africa has enjoyed 32 years of democracy, those nostalgic for a separatist doctrine have begun to believe a return to a similar policy could become a reality. However, this time, the push is not for political ideology, but for creating a well-functioning and prosperous African city. The failure of the ANC to govern effectively has given rise to the belief among Afrikaner descendants that a functional African city is an unattainable dream.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has managed to build a thriving Cape Town, but it has struggled to envision the city as a whole, thriving African metropolis.
Sociologist C. Wright Mills argued that understanding the relationship between individual biography and social structure is crucial. It is in this vein that Cape Town falls short: it reduces its citizens' overwhelming issues to private concerns rather than public ones. To break the stranglehold of a policy-oriented mindset that does not consider Cape Town a thriving African city without European influence, local governments must focus on cultural inclusion, wealth generation strategies, and honoring the unique stories of its people.
The current tendency is to duplicate European city constructs that work well in predominantly monocultural environments, stripping away the Africanness that defines the location. This approach results in a Eurocentric model that features singing women and men, dancing children, and township tours. However, there should be an African city that unites classes and cultures, celebrates Africa in a way that respects its unique identity, and is not confined to a Cape Flats enclave or the Atlantic Seaboard. The designation of the Atlantic Seaboard as European reinforces this notion and must be challenged.
While demand for great transport, beaches, food, modern infrastructure, and beautiful homes is understandable, the question remains: where is the imagination beyond what Europe and America offer? Can we co-create an African city that looks and feels distinctly African, rather than simply copying an unAfrican identity? The Geordin Hill-Lewis project, a local government initiative, may fail if this challenge is not addressed.
For continued investment in infrastructure upgrades to be successful, the city's vision must be Africa-inspired, not dictated by foreign influences.
Written by urgent.news from IOL's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
