Published on: Aug 21, 2026

Following our recent consultation on the pedestrian gate between Saffraan Street and Jip de Jager Drive, the City of Cape Town has considered the request for the gate to be permanently closed. The City’s District Head: Roads and Stormwater has confirmed that permanent closure has not been approved. The current arrangement will therefore continue, with the gate open for pedestrian access during the day and locked at night.

Why the City Has Retained Daytime Access

In reaching its decision, the City considered the role the access plays in the wider pedestrian network and the people who use it.

The City noted that the access:

• connects directly to a recognised bus and taxi embayment serving the area;
• is well used, predominantly by domestic workers and recreational pedestrians;
• is a formal pedestrian route, with concrete stairs and guardrails already provided; and
• provides a safer and more practical route than the alternative via Eksteen and Bonsma Streets, where there are no sidewalks and the steep gradient makes pedestrian travel more difficult and potentially more dangerous.

On this basis, the City confirmed that public pedestrian access must remain available during the day.

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What Happens Now

The gate will remain open during the day and locked at night until approximately 05:00, with the access continuing to be monitored by CCTV. The City has also confirmed that if the current partial closure arrangement is not maintained, the gate will need to be removed entirely so that the public pedestrian route remains open. WCID will continue to manage the gate in accordance with the City’s decision.

What Informed WCID’s Submission

Before referring the matter to the City, WCID invited residents and property owners to participate in a survey and reviewed CCTV information to understand how the access is used. Of the 70 residents and property owners who participated, 45% indicated that they never use the stairs, while 55% use them to some degree. Around 2% indicated daily use. CCTV monitoring provided further information on daily pedestrian movement. Over approximately ten weeks, an average of 75 people per day used the access, increasing to around 89 on weekdays. A more detailed review found that approximately 61 daily users were domestic workers and other workers travelling to and from properties in the surrounding area.

Together, the resident feedback and observed usage provided a broader understanding of the access, including the significant number of regular users who fall outside WCID’s resident and property-owner communication channels. WCID submitted this information, together with the safety concerns raised, to the City for consideration in our application.

Thank you to everyone who participated. The process allowed resident concerns to be heard while also considering the wider group of people who use this pedestrian route each day.

Welgemoed CID Management

Welgemoed CID operates in alignment with the City of Cape Town’s core service delivery and governance pillars. For operational assistance or urgent matters, residents are encouraged to save the Welgemoed CID Control Room number: 086 1212 315