Approximately 200 activists gathered on the Sea Point Promenade on 24 September 2026, Heritage Day, to oppose the City of Cape Town’s planned N2 Edge wall safety project. The protest march moved from Sea Point Promenade to the Tafelberg site, drawing attention to concerns over the R114 million to R115 million multi-year project and its impact on communities living along the N2 highway.
The City’s initiative involves building a wall along a nine-kilometre stretch of the N2 to enhance safety, but community groups and residents argue it deepens spatial divides and does not address root causes of crime. The failings of the project have been raised consistently since early 2026, including criticism that it reinforces apartheid-era spatial planning patterns.
“It’s going to make us live as if we are prisoners,” said Nkosikhona Swaartbooi, Movement for Care coordinator, during the march. He added that the wall is being pushed by the DA-led City government “under the pretence of protecting the safety” of those living and driving near the highway.
Protesters used a mock wall constructed from cardboard boxes to symbolise their rejection of the project, a dramatic highlight confirmed by independent Cape Argus coverage. This demonstration aimed to draw attention to community priorities in service delivery, safety, and infrastructure investment.
Other voices at the protest emphasised the social neglect felt in marginalised areas. Mbulelo Zwane, a participant from Kraaifontein, said, “The wall does not bring any solution to the crime happening, but the wall will just make things worse and separate people.” From Khayelitsha’s Site C, Esetu Babi added, “We don’t have houses, toilets, and we live in a dirty place,” underscoring the perceived misallocation of funds.
Legal advocacy group Ndifuna Ukwazi, represented by Luyanda Mthamzeli, criticised the project as an attempt by the City to “hide their failure to fix informal settlements.” This aligns with the broader community concerns that the wall fails to address pressing housing and social development needs while consuming significant public resources.
Earlier reporting by Cape Times in March 2026 flagged the potential of such infrastructure to perpetuate apartheid-era spatial divisions, an issue highlighted repeatedly as the project remains under debate. Yet detailed plans and the final design of the N2 Edge wall remain unpublished, leaving some finer points of the project uncertain.
The protest represents the latest in a series of disputes over how Cape Town allocates funding to safety and infrastructure, with residents demanding transparent public consultation and prioritisation of more pressing community needs over large-scale, divisive projects.
Cape Flats News journalists were at the scene and confirm the core facts of the march, the protest route, and the activists involved. We are awaiting the City of Cape Town’s formal response to ongoing community objections and plan to monitor developments closely.
Further details on the N2 Edge project’s funding breakdown, consultation process, and final design are expected as the City updates the public. Cape Flats News will provide updates as information becomes available.