Wednesday, 30 September 2026

Homelessness organisations said Cape Town’s crisis requires affordable housing, family reunification, employment pathways and trauma-informed support, rather than criminalisation or election-season “clean-ups”.

Panellists condemned municipal clean-ups that remove homeless people without social workers, warning they can destroy IDs, medication access and voting rights while deepening trauma.

Climate experts warned Cape Town’s reservoirs were around 75%, similar to 2015 levels, and said another Day Zero scenario remained possible as climate pressures intensify.

Mayoral candidates differed on Cape Town’s future: Bosa prioritised affordability, the ACDP promised services and skills development, while Freedom Front Plus backed local self-determination and Cape independence.

The debate highlighted Cape Town’s spatial inequality, with candidates acknowledging that apartheid-era settlement patterns still force workers into costly, lengthy commutes from jobs and services.