ANC's Parliament caucus hellbent on stopping CoCT municipal land sales

The African National Congress (ANC) caucus in Parliament said its battle to stop the City of Cape Town from selling municipal land to foreigners will continue.

The city held an online auction to sell 50 parcels of public land at noon on Thursday.

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Earlier this week, various civil society organisations, supported by the ANC and other opposition parties, held a protest outside the Western Cape High Court.

Inside court, lawyers for the collective failed in a bid to halt the city from going ahead with the auction.

ANC leader of the opposition in the Western Cape Parliament Cameron Dugmore slammed the city for continuing to sell municipal land that could be used for both social and affordable housing.

"Given the strength of various foreign currencies… property prices in Cape Town [are] escalating even more, making land and housing simply unaffordable to the vast majority of citizens. Land is the most basic and essential resource for human settlement and dignity."

Dugmore said the Municipal Finance Management Act stipulates that municipal land cannot be sold if needed for the provision of minimum basic services.

"As the ANC, we have also resolved to meet with the national minister of human settlements to explore the possible declaration of an intergovernmental dispute with the City of Cape Town."

Dugmore said ANC is also seeking to amend the Municipal Finance Management Act to ensure housing is included in the definition of basic services.