PICS & VIDEO: Lentegeur residents protest after City of Cape Town bans use of hall
ANGRY: Seniors club protested after City issued notice to stop using hall by 6 June
Angry residents from Lentegeur protested outside the Lobelia Community Hall after they received a notice from the City of Cape Town banning them from using the hall as of 6 June.
According to the notice received, an investigation by the City found that the hall was being filled over the capacity allowed.
Various groups including the Lentegeur East Seniors Club, the Community Gym, Diabetic club, and the Arts and Craft club, were among those “evicted” from the centre.
But the City said Covid regulations must be adhered to. It said all City facilities are only allowed to operate with a 50% capacity and as the Lobelia Hall facility has a normal capacity of 120, this number has been halved.
It said the crèche in the hall is taking up the full quota of 60, the clubs may not use the hall until further notice.
“With the lockdown restrictions being lifted, the crèche allowed more children to return, which was clearly a need for all parents in the surrounding community that had to return to normal working hours,” the City said.
On Tuesday, the groups protested outside the hall.
Mogamad Cassiem, 72, coordinator of the Lentegeur Seniors Club, says the crèche is operating as a business and should be moved out of the community hall.
“This is our place, it says Community Hall, not Business Hall. Businesses must move out of here. We are over 500 people from Lentegeur here. They did this without consulting our community.”
Mitchells Plain Subcouncil Chairperson Solomon Philander said the matter will be resolved.
“As subcouncil chairperson, I will meet the users together with the ward councillor on 9 June 2022 at 10am at the facility. We will make sure we find a solution.”