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AN ACTIVIST ever since she cut her teeth on the chaotic streets of Muizenberg in 1998, Kerime Sinclair could hardly hide her disappointment at Thursday's community meeting that had promised to be the first step towards the area's final revitalisation.

The meeting was held at the behest of Mayor Helen Zille, who found herself relentlessly pursued over the past few months by Sinclair who, as an ex-chairperson of the Muizenberg and Lakeside Ratepayers' Association, recently returned to soft politics at the request of certain residents.

"On 17 September we had the the mayor come down to Muizenberg to speak to a small group of people gathered at my home," says Sinclair. She says their proposal was simple: return Muizenberg to its natural splendour by demolishing the ugly and unused structures along the beachfront, like the rusty amusement park and the pavilion.

"It would free the ocean from its prison and link the community with nature again ? nature being our best tourist attraction after all. Surrounding areas like Vrygrond will be sure to benefit from Muizenberg's fortune and it will also cut maintenance and admin costs for the city," Sinclair says.

The meeting with the mayor was by all accounts a great success, with Zille asking subcouncil chairperson Demetri Qually to ensure suggestions, contained in a 2004 Beachfront Revitalisation Framework (BRF) study, be implemented.

Qually and town planning officials subsequently met with an expectant group of community organisation leaders at the Muizenberg Bowling Club on Thursday, with Sinclair and her vision of wrecking balls and bulldozers forming one of their number.

But these visions were not to be.

"The city requires a clear framework to guide its decision on developments. We cannot just demolish structures or build them as we like," says Qually. "This report was universally accepted as the best and was done with wide public participation. Yet, as it was never approved, we need to start the process of updating it so it can be used," Qually says. The study does seem to include certain points that could, in theory, transform Muizenberg into a vibrant, seaside city. Suggestions to relocate the pavilion to the Zandvlei outlet, investigate the feasibility of a pier, restore the primary dune system and remove the old revetment to create a sense of continuity in the natural landscape are just some of the priorities and projects suggested for action.

But it will be an exercise in futility unless the community backs the plans wholehear?tedly, says Ossie Gonsalves of the Directorate: Transport, Roads and Planning.

"With our current budget and manpower constraints, we will not be able to update this study at present. It is just not a priority for the city," Gonsalves admits.

His thoughts are echoed by another town planner, who says that to get the BRF upda?ted, town planners will need an official mandate from the executives in the city.

"And for that to happen you need to get political buy-in," he says.

"To get political buy-in, you need to get the people behind the plan first. It is essential to get the community excited about the idea now, otherwise it will fail," Sinclair says.

Though Qually's step-by-step approach seems positively unenthusiastic when compared with Sinclair's energy, it seems to be the ingredient needed to win Muizenberg a top spot in a battle over scarce resources.

"This was just the first step in a move to get the plan updated and approved. I have indicated that I will convene more meetings to present the plan to a bigger audience, and we will look into the possibility of raising funds for the project locally," he says.

"People need to keep in mind that Muizenberg is just one of many communities that need the city's attention. We need to start thinking of plans that will benefit both the man in the mansion and the man in the shack in Vrygrond simultaneously," Qually says.

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