“We want to make it clear we are not against housing for Grabouw residents, but we are against how Theewaterskloof Municipality has handled it!” So says PJ van der Westhuizen, chairperson of the Elgin Grabouw Ratepayers and residents Association (EGGRA) regarding the Gypsy Queen development.
He said TWK had deviated from the original plans for Gypsy Queen, and now it wants to build HOP houses on plots of 7 m x 15 m. “This small space must accommodate one’s house, garden, parking space, washing line, place for children to play and even to keep chickens. Furthermore, TWK wanted to zone the area as residential Zone 2, which means formal houses and informal structures would be allowed on the same properties.
“We ask that the municipality rather focus on Flisp housing (Finance Linked Individual Subsidy Programme) for this development. Flisp is there to help first-time home buyers who have a combined household income of R3 501 to R22 000 per month. It gives you a once-off government subsidy to help with the purchase or construction of your first home.
“What further grieves the ratepayers is the fact that the planned housing is at the entrance of the town and next to an established residential area, which according to residents will not only create a poor impression of the town, but will also affect the property values of the adjacent residential area.”
Furthermore, the community claims it was not informed at all about the change to Gypsy Queen, but according to TWK it was advertised in the Hermanus Times in February. It stated: “The application, including the latest layout, was advertised in the newspaper and registered notices were sent to potential interested and affected parties, as prescribed under the land-use regulation. In this period members of the public were invited to provide feedback on the application. The process is still ongoing.”
Residents say they have done everything in their power to prevent the development, but felt they were being ignored. Ratepayers held a meeting with TWK mayor Lincoln de Bruyn on 5 March about the situation.
“We have done everything in our power to prevent the new development, submitted representations, held meetings, came up with new proposals, but absolutely nothing came of the matter,” Van der Westhuizen said. At a meeting involving TWK and different Theewaterskloof ratepayers’ associations at the end of August, ratepayers agreed they felt very disempowered.
On Monday 15 September residents also received a letter from TWK confirming their objections had fallen on deaf ears and the development would proceed. The decision letter reads as follows: The Municipal Tribunal on 7 August 2025 approved the following application in terms of Section 60 of the Theewaterskloof Municipality: Bylaw on Municipal Land Use Planning 2022:Subdivision of Unregistered Erf 8078 (15 4992 ha) to include the following:
• 76 x single residential Zone 1 erven to be used for First Home Finance & Subsidy Assistance (Flisp housing) purposes;
• 467 x single residential Zone 2 (SR72) erven to be used for subsidy housing purposes;
• 67 x single residential Zone 2 erven to be used for Emergency Housing purposes;
• 16 x Open Space Zone 1 erven;
• 1 x Community Zone 2 erf to be used for place of worship purposes;
• 1 x Utility Zone erf to be used for detention ponds and other municipal purposes and
• The remainder to Transport Zone 2 to be used as Public Roads/Streets.
According to Van der Westhuizen ratepayers will definitely lodge an objection to the municipality’s decision.
