News24.com | Meet the two youths advocating for a more ‘bike-friendly’ Cape Town

As Capetonians struggle with an unreliable and expensive public transport system, two youths are lobbying to make Cape Town more bike friendly. Roland Postma and Tiisetso Mofokeng, both 27, are members of an NGO called Young Urbanists South Africa, which is aimed at people under the age of 35 who are interested in their city and want to be more engaged stakeholders. Both Postma and Mofokeng have fiercely advocated for redefined and reshaped spaces within cities offering dedicated cycle lanes.

“Issues of transport hold immense importance for me as a young South African because they directly impact our vision for the country,” Postma said. He added that increased congestion, high transportation costs, a lack of safety for women and pedestrians, and lengthy commutes had significant consequences for people and communities. “I recognise that many South Africans spend a substantial portion of their income on transportation and endure long, arduous commutes.

This hinders their economic well-being and affects their overall quality of life. By advocating for safe, affordable, and reliable public transportation options, as well as creating walkable and green streets, we can address these challenges and improve the daily lives of our people, who are the majority of pedestrians,” he said. READ | Issues the youth face: Crime, cost of living and ‘where are the jobs you promised, Mr President?’ “While I acknowledge my privilege, it does not diminish my commitment to addressing the transportation challenges faced by the majority of South Africans, particularly those on the periphery.

” “As a planner, my approach is rooted in evidence-based planning and a deep understanding of the multifaceted issues that affect our transportation systems,” he added. Young Urbanists SA has organised several significant initiatives, including the first-ever mayoral debate on urbanism and South African cities, featuring Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis and Good party general secretary Brett Herron . The NGO has also launched several campaigns focused on mobility and has formed strategic partnerships to reimagine the design and planning of South Africa’s rapidly urbanising cities, particularly Cape Town .

Postma added that his hope for the youth of South Africa was that young people could redefine and reshape the spaces within cities. “I envision cities that enable and nurture our dreams, rejecting the notion that success is solely measured by car ownership or the proliferation of shopping malls. Instead, I hope for cities that embrace the messiness, prioritise safety, affordable liveable housing, renting control, provide access to essential services within walking distance, offer dedicated cycling lanes, eliminate the fear associated with walking and have access to safe and reliable trains, taxies and even the return of trams,” he said.

Mofokeng told News24 the preservation of spaces and the aim to make the city more bike friendly were important, allowing people in authority and community members to take charge and help preserve and maintain the quality of cities. “I am currently involved in a project called Girls Make The City, and it’s very much in alignment with my dissertation topic from my urban planning master’s degree. My intention is to lobby and design and create with local residents and allow them to take charge of their spaces,” she said.

ALSO READ | Meet the Joburg man who cycled 3 000km in a month to raise money for school shoes Mofokeng added that she was interested in urban planning because she needed to understand scale in a relationship – not just to architecture and landscape but also to interiors and precincts. “I also got to learn so many factors, such as social, political and economic issues that affect our built environment profession. Urban planning allowed me to unleash and understand the potential of cross-disciplinary, particularly in the profession that I’m in,” she added.

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