Concerns raised by Tijgerhof Residents Association over WCED official's conduct

The Tijgerhof Residents Association has lodged a formal complaint against a Western Cape Education Department (WCED) official, raising concerns over the planned development of Tygerhof High School in Milnerton and the reliability of a key traffic study used in the project.

In a letter submitted to the WCED human resources directorate, the public service commission and the Western Cape Government Ombudsman, the association accuses a WCED official of unprofessional conduct, failure to address legitimate objections, and poor oversight in the planning process.

The association has raised specific concerns about the integrity of the Traffic Impact Assessment (TIA) conducted by Innovation Transport Solution (ITS). Chairperson Garron Gsell said the study contains “substantive shortcomings” and that the official refused to acknowledge these issues

Mr Gsell also criticised the official for suggesting that residents commission and fund their own independent TIA.

“This reflects an unacceptable transfer of responsibility from a public body to private individuals, especially where the original study, funded with public money, has been credibly challenged for its flawed methodology,” he said.

The association also accused the official of defending a report they believe contains errors, including inconsistent vehicle counts, omitted intersections, and incorrect reporting of survey dates. These issues, Mr Gsell said, point to a failure in oversight or a reliance on contractor outputs despite potential inaccuracies.

The complaint also highlights a meeting held on Thursday, June 5, which the association said was arranged without their involvement. The meeting, coordinated by Lynn Pretorius from ITS, included the City’s traffic department and WCED representatives, but the association said they were only informed of it after-hours, with less than 48 hours’ notice.

“It is wholly unacceptable that a consultant whose report is contested has taken the lead in coordinating a meeting with public officials without the involvement of the affected residents,” said Mr Gsell.

The association argues that this conduct undermines the neutrality of the process and raises concerns over stakeholder exclusion and the transparency of public engagement.

In response, WCED spokesperson Millicent Merton confirmed that the complaint has been received and will be investigated.