Cape Town Climate Week: protecting drought-proof farmland
Activists gathered at the Philippi Horticultural Area to discuss water and food security
From July 1, 2025, to July 31, 2026, the Cape Town Municipal Planning Tribunal (MPT) heard 1,328 recorded cases. Surprisingly, the MPT, intended to be an independent body, did not issue a single ruling that went against the recommendations of the city's planning department. One notable exception was found in the minutes of the northeastern panel meeting on July 14, 2026.
In a document titled "Addendum B," compiled by the Legal Resources Centre (LRC) on behalf of a non-profit organization representing vulnerable and low-income communities, the LRC highlighted the significant impact the data center application would have on these communities. The developers sought to construct two large data centers adjacent to the Cape Town International Airport, which would allegedly draw 174 megawatts of electricity and consume 4.4 billion liters of water annually.
This would place an additional strain on the public grid and water supply for communities already struggling to afford essential services. The LRC argued that the developers had mischaracterized the application and failed to comply with essential provisions of the By-Law. Consequently, the MPT should not grant the application, as it would disproportionately impact vulnerable communities already dealing with limited resources and insufficient infrastructure.
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