Cape Town’s DA-led administration faced a barrage of criticism over housing, crime and allegations of racism during an IOL town hall mayoral debate on Thursday, with seven rival parties challenging deputy mayor Eddie Andrews on the City’s record ahead of the November 4 local government elections.

The debate, held at the Portside Building in Cape Town, saw opposition representatives question the City’s housing policies, proposed N2 safety wall and newly launched SWAT unit. Andrews defended the DA’s record, arguing that Cape Town had created more affordable housing opportunities than any other metro.

DA faces racism allegations over housing policies
When asked directly whether the DA was racist, Andrews answered “no”, while some audience members shouted “yes”.

GOOD Party mayoral candidate Brett Herron argued that the City’s policy allowing property owners to build affordable rental units in 194 designated neighbourhoods reinforced apartheid-era spatial divisions.

“This particular policy around the affordable rental units is racist because of where the affordable housing rental units as of right can be built, and they cannot be built where I live,” Herron said.

He cited Westlake as an example of a densely populated community with small houses and narrow roads where residents were expected to build multiple rental units.

Play Video

Andrews said the programme began in areas where homes had been built with government grants, with assessments determining how many units each property could accommodate. He added that rental prices were controlled.

“It is the only plan in the country that is able to respond to informality,” Andrews said.

“Ask any of these panelists here, whether in coalition government, if they have a plan there. They don’t.”

Herron also criticised the City’s record on inner-city housing, saying Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis had told the Western Cape High Court in an affidavit this month that the long-promised Pine Road and Dillon Lane social housing projects in Woodstock were being cancelled. Andrews had named both sites as part of the City’s plans shortly before Herron raised the issue.

Herron said the City’s inclusionary housing policy, which would require developers to contribute to affordable housing, had remained unadopted since 2018. Andrews said the policy would return to council early next year.

Source: https://iol.co.za/lge2026/2026-10-22-cape-town-mayoral-debate-housing-crime-and-racism-claims-dominate/