While the local ward councillor, DA member Aslam Cassiem, supports the private hospital group’s plan to take over recreational space for parking, critics point out there is a need for increased preservation of open space in high-density areas like Rylands.
The Rylands Cricket Club, in the following report, calls for community action to preserve valuable recreational space which the City of Cape Town plans to hand over for parking space.
A rising tide of concern is sweeping through the Rylands and greater Athlone community as news spreads of a proposed development that may see a large portion of the beloved Rylands sports field converted into parking bays for Melomed Gatesville Private Hospital. The plan, currently under public review, would rezone parts of Erf 102425 and 103371 – municipal land used primarily for sport and recreation – to allow for the construction of 220 hospital-exclusive parking bays.
For decades, these open spaces – bordered by Hazel Road and Balu Parker Boulevard – have been home to cricket, soccer, athletics, and grassroots development programmes. Now, community leaders warn that losing even part of the field could deal a severe blow to youth sports and neighbourhood wellbeing.
‘This isn’t just about cricket,’ says Dr Muneem Ebrahim, a long-serving committee member of the Rylands Cricket Club (RCC). ‘This is about preserving a vital, safe, and sacred community space that serves our children, our seniors, our schools, and our collective spirit.’
A plan with high stakes
The proposal, published under Case ID 1500113648, is part of a broader expansion by Melomed Gatesville, a major private hospital licensed for over 220 beds. According to the application, Melomed has outgrown its current parking capacity and seeks additional space to serve increasing patient volumes.
With the hospital situated in a high-traffic, mixed-use area, the City of Cape Town has granted a servitude – a right of limited use – on a portion of the Rylands field to provide for hospital parking. In total, the plan would create 300 new bays: 220 for the hospital, and 80 for the City’s Recreation and Parks Department.
Melomed has committed itself to surface-level parking only, with some landscaping and upgrades included in the proposal. However, residents and sports advocates argue that the servitude zone would effectively cut the main cricket field – known as the AW Mukuddem Oval – in half. They fear this could render the field unplayable for league fixtures, junior coaching, and community events.
‘We have nowhere else to go’
The Rylands Cricket Club has played a pivotal role in building and maintaining the fields for decades, with ongoing support from the City’s Recreation and Parks Department.
Today, the field hosts school sports days, religious holiday tournaments, youth development programmes, and even international veterans’ matches.
‘We’ve invested time, money, and sweat into this space,’ says Saleem Mukuddem, former RCC chairman. ‘Rylands doesn’t have a stadium. We don’t have sprawling fields like some of the affluent suburbs. This field is all we’ve got.’
Mukuddem is one of several community members who have called the proposal ‘short-sighted’, not because they oppose the hospital’s growth, but because they question the City’s priorities.
‘Why are we being asked to sacrifice a community field,’ Mukuddem asks, ‘when there are clearly other options available to Melomed?’
Similar sentiments were echoed by parents, coaches and residents on social media and in a widely circulated petition.
One mother of two put it simply: ‘We fought so hard to give our children something better. Now they want to pave it over for cars.’
Hospital’s view: Meeting healthcare demand
On the other side of the debate, Melomed Gatesville insists that the proposed parking area is essential to its future operations.
Since its founding in 1989, the hospital has grown into a regional centre for cardiac, oncology, maternity and surgical care. In a recent planning submission, the hospital noted that during the COVID-19 pandemic, parking shortages became critical, especially for emergency patients. The new bays would alleviate pressure, improve traffic flow, and enhance safety.
City officials have echoed these points. Ward 46 Councillor Aslam Cassiem, a member of the Democratic Alliance (DA), whose office supports the application, stated that it would ‘bring long-term benefits’ to local healthcare and that the hospital’s growth ‘can’t be stalled by parking bottlenecks’.
Planning documents show that Melomed has also pledged to upgrade field infrastructure, increase lighting, plant trees, and provide overflow bays for community use during major events, such as Jumuah prayers or school functions.
The bigger picture: Space, youth, and equity
Despite these promises, critics point out that the city’s densest communities have the least recreational space and stand to lose the most when land is reallocated.
‘It’s not just about cricket,’ says Naeem Cassim, a youth mentor and former school sports coordinator. ‘It’s about dignity. About our kids growing up with the same chances that others take for granted. You can’t put a price on a safe, healthy place to play.’
In fact, the City’s own Spatial Development Framework (SDF) calls for increased preservation of open space in high-density areas like Rylands. The proposal to rezone a sports field for hospital use appears, at least on the surface, to be in tension with that objective. Urban health specialists agree.
‘You need fields to keep kids off the streets,’ says one local doctor. ‘And ironically, you need fields to reduce long-term health issues – like obesity, diabetes, and even depression.’
Possible alternatives: A compromise?
While tensions remain high, some voices have proposed practical compromises.
Community groups are urging Melomed and the City to explore multi-level parking structures on the hospital’s existing footprint, or to develop underground or vertical solutions. Others suggest leasing underutilised nearby lots and providing a shuttle system.
Several civic leaders have also floated the idea of a ‘land swap’, where the City could offer a similarly zoned site elsewhere, preserving the full integrity of the AW Mukuddem Oval.
‘We’re not unreasonable,’ says Ebrahim. ‘We just want to be consulted, not steamrolled.’
What you can Do: Community action now
The City of Cape Town has formally opened the public comment period on this application, which is expected to close in mid-July 2025. Community members are being urged to voice their concerns and propose alternatives.
How to object or comment
- Download the objection form via the Rylands Cricket Club’s social media platforms or email them directly at rylandscc@gmail.com to request the form. Complete the form, including your name, ID number and reason for objection. With the subject line: ‘Application Ref. 1500113648 – Erf 110766’, email the completed objection form to: comments_objections.capeflats@capetown.gov.za
- Attend the next Subcouncil 11 meeting. For meeting dates contact the office which is based at the Dulcie September Civic Centre in Athlone or visit the website.
- Engage with your ward councillor, Mogamat Aslam Cassiem on 072 363 9792 or email him: Cassiem@capetown.gov.za
- Share this article, speak to neighbours, and encourage schools and faith groups to participate.
‘Together, We Are Rylands’
As the community weighs in, one truth remains clear: this issue reaches beyond sports and zoning. It touches on identity, justice, health, and belonging. As a young cricketer at a recent protest put it: ‘We’re not just saving a field. We’re saving a future.’
Whether this proposal is approved, amended, or rejected will depend not only on policy – but on public voice. Let yours be heard. #SaveRylandsFields #CommunityOverCorporates #SupportRCC
This report was issued by Rylands Cricket Club.
