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It may have taken close to 24 years, but the grounds formerly occupied by the Claremont Bowling Club – until quite recently described as a local eyesore and a safety risk – have at last taken a turn for the better.
The property in Bowwood Road, which was at the centre of a land-claims resolution process begun in 1998, stood vacant for many years with the old clubhouse falling apart and vagrants moving in. The situation persisted even after the land claims commission successfully transferred the land to the trust in June 2017, making it responsible for the maintenance and the future of the site.
Last year, it seemed that the grounds would be used as a 4x4 off-road adventure park, but with the City of Cape Town refusing the application for a five-year temporary land-use departure permit in January – and heavy pushback from the community – this idea ran out of steam.
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In recent months, the owner of the property, the Claremont Beneficiary Trust (CBT), signed two short-term leases with Africa Padel and U-turn: Communitree, with the first having taken occupation in September.
Africa Padel invited representatives of the Upper Claremont Residents and Ratepayers Association, U-turn, the Claremont Improvement District Company, the Claremont Beneficiary Trust and Mikhail Manuel, councillor for Ward 59, to their courts in Bowwood Road on Tuesday 24 October for a round of this new sport. A hybrid between tennis and squash, padel has proven very popular among Claremont residents with the courts already showing an 80% booking rate via the playtomic app.
Darryn Kuter, Head of Club Development, Africa Padel, says the community has welcomed them with open arms. With the four courts open for business from 06:00 to 22:00, and with a private security company now monitoring the premises, the social ills which plagued the once-vacant grounds have dissipated. The construction of a new building, which will accommodate a coffee shop, changing rooms and bathroom facilities, on the spot where the now-demolished clubhouse once stood is also well underway. Kuter says, if all goes to plan, work should be completed by the end of this month.
The Claremont court is one of three Africa Padel courts currently open to the public in Cape Town with the other two located in Camps Bay and the V&A Waterfront. A fourth one is set to open soon in Constantia. Kuter says it is important for them to be close to and part of the communities they serve.
“We’ve been looking for a suitable area in this vicinity because we found that residents from here were driving all the way to Camps Bay to play. Working in conjunction with the City of Cape Town and the Claremont Tennis Club, we were put in contact with the trust and a short-term lease was signed. This is such a beautiful spot and a friendly community, and if we could, we would have liked to be here forever,” says Kuter.
When People’s Post last spoke to Zaahir Adams, chair of the CBT, two years ago, he said the trust was considering proposals from various developers.
Back then, the trust had signed a lease with Rashaad Carlsen, the mind behind the off-road adventure park. The five-year lease, with a minimum of three years, was set up in such a way that should a developer want to take ownership of the grounds to build, the lessee would be given notice to vacate the land. The same terms apply to the two current signed leases.
At the Africa Padel event in Claremont, Yusuf Mowlana, treasurer of CBT, shared that the development had been put out to tender in 2019. He said several proposals were received which were given to built environment and financial experts for evaluation. He said the proposals had been narrowed down to one with final negotiations underway. Should an agreement be reached, it would entail the construction of multi-storey apartments with 70 mountain-facing flats set aside for beneficiaries. At present, the trust consists of 64 families.
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Yusuf Maged, the longest-serving trustee member, says it has been a long and arduous journey.
The bowling club once belonged to the City. Following a Land Claims resolution process, it was transferred to the Regional Land Claims Commission (RLCC) in 2013. Next, it was meant to be transferred to the trust. However, due to a clerical error, the tennis club was also transferred – a mistake that would take four years to correct.
“When this whole process started, it was a case of the money or the box. People were offered R40 000 to exit the claim. Some took it but the rest of us decided to stick with it. For us, it wasn’t about the money, but about returning dignity. Now for us to have reached this stage, to have something tangible after all those years…” says Maged.
