Cape Town Residents Appeal to Halt Equinix Data Centre
Local activists and residents in Cape Town filed a formal appeal to stop Equinix from building a hyperscale data centre at King Air Industria.
Residents and activists in Cape Town have filed a formal appeal to block the construction of a hyperscale data centre by Equinix at King Air Industria. The appeal, lodged in August, has legally suspended a July 14 approval from the Municipal Planning Tribunal regarding the project's rezoning, subdivision, and consolidation.
Opponents argue the project lacks transparency and fails to detail its impact on noise, emissions, and critical water and electricity resources in nearby areas, including Gugulethu and Bishop Lavis. Community leaders and the Housing Assembly are demanding a moratorium on data centre development, citing a lack of community consultation. They further question the economic utility of the project, noting that estimates suggest only 40 permanent jobs would be created.
Bishop Lavis community leader Michael Hoffmeester challenged the project over the absence of community engagement, stating, "We cannot understand them." He further questioned how he could explain the project to the community if he did not understand the information provided to him.
