Save Protea Sports Club — Don't Let Our Community Lose Its Sporting Home!
The Issue
60 years of sporting history. A home for disability sport. Athletes with dreams to pursue. Help us protect Protea Sports Club and its future.
Situated on Main Road in Retreat, Cape Town, Protea Sports Club has been part of our community since 1964. Today, its future is under threat following a proposal to reserve the site for social housing development.
We are calling on the City of Cape Town and the relevant decision-makers to reconsider the proposed use of the site, meaningfully consult the community, and work with the club to find a solution that protects its sporting facilities and the people who depend on them.
A remarkable history that deserves to be protected
Protea Sports Club was founded in 1964 following a demonstration to the Mayor of Cape Town and other civic dignitaries showcasing the sporting achievements of disabled athletes who had competed at the Stoke Mandeville Games and the Tokyo Paralympics.
Two physiotherapists from Princess Alice Hospital established the club to help paraplegics continue participating in sport after being discharged from hospital. Its original purpose was to support rehabilitation through sport, particularly archery.
That purpose has grown into a legacy spanning more than six decades.
Protea has expanded its activities to include tennis, field events for disabled athletes, table tennis, wheelchair rugby for quadriplegics and serving as the home venue for the St Giles wheelchair basketball team. It has also provided social opportunities for disabled members through board games and cultural outings.
Archery remains the club's primary activity. Protea is one of South Africa's major archery venues and one of only three archery clubs in the greater Cape Town area. The club is affiliated with the Western Province Archery Association and the Western Province association for the physically disabled.
Over the years, Protea has produced national champions, Olympians and Paralympians across various sporting disciplines.
Yet the club receives no public funding. It relies on membership fees, private donations and fundraising to purchase the expensive, specialised equipment needed to support its sporting activities, particularly disability sport.
Protea is more than a piece of land. It is a place of rehabilitation, inclusion, achievement, friendship and belonging. It is part of Cape Town's sporting history.
Our athletes. Their competitions. Their future.
Protea's story isn't only about past achievements. It is about the athletes who train here today, the competitions they are preparing for and the goals they are working hard to achieve.
Behind every athlete is dedication, time, effort and a community that helps make participation possible. The loss of Protea could disrupt training, access to specialised facilities and the opportunities athletes need to continue progressing in their sporting careers.
These are real people with real goals. Their commitment deserves to be recognised, and they deserve a fair opportunity to continue training and competing in an environment that meets their needs.
When we fight to protect Protea, we are fighting for the athletes who are making sporting history today — and for those who have yet to begin their journey.
Why the future of Protea matters
We recognise that Cape Town faces a serious shortage of affordable housing. The need for housing is real, and we are not asking the City to ignore it.
But communities also need accessible sporting facilities, recreational spaces and opportunities for people of different ages and abilities to participate in sport. Housing and community facilities should be considered together when decisions are made about the future of our neighbourhoods.
Losing Protea without a suitable alternative could displace established sporting codes, interrupt athletes' training and competitions, and remove access to specialised facilities and equipment that may be difficult to replace elsewhere.
A general-purpose venue may not be sufficient. Disability sport and specialised disciplines such as archery require appropriate space, equipment, accessibility and a suitable environment.
Once a community facility is lost, its programmes, relationships, expertise and opportunities cannot simply be recreated overnight.
What are we asking for?
We call on the City of Cape Town and the relevant decision-makers to:
- Reconsider the proposed use of the Protea Sports Club site and explore all reasonable options to retain the existing sporting facilities alongside future development plans.
- Meaningfully consult the club committee, sporting codes, members, athletes and surrounding community before decisions affecting the club's future are finalised.
- Recognise and protect Protea's contribution to disability sport, rehabilitation, inclusion and sporting achievement, including the specialised facilities and equipment required by its members.
- If retaining the current site is genuinely not possible, commit to a suitable alternative before displacement occurs. Any replacement must be safe, accessible, affordable and capable of accommodating the affected sporting codes and their specialised requirements.
- Provide transparent communication about the status of the proposal, the decision-making process, the consultation undertaken and the options being considered for the club and its members.
This is about protecting our community's future
After more than six decades of service, Protea Sports Club deserves more than uncertainty. It deserves meaningful consultation and a genuine effort to protect its future.
We believe Cape Town should be able to pursue housing solutions while also protecting valuable community sporting facilities. The people who use and depend on Protea should have a voice in decisions that affect their lives, their sporting opportunities and their future.
Please sign this petition and share it with your friends, family, neighbours, fellow athletes and sports supporters.
Every signature helps demonstrate that Protea matters — to its athletes, its sporting codes, people with disabilities, families and the wider community.
Let us stand together to protect this historic sporting home, support the athletes who are training and competing today, and ensure that future generations have the opportunity to participate in sport.
SAVE PROTEA. PROTECT DISABILITY SPORT. SUPPORT OUR ATHLETES. PRESERVE OUR COMMUNITY'S SPORTING HOME.
52
The Issue
60 years of sporting history. A home for disability sport. Athletes with dreams to pursue. Help us protect Protea Sports Club and its future.
Situated on Main Road in Retreat, Cape Town, Protea Sports Club has been part of our community since 1964. Today, its future is under threat following a proposal to reserve the site for social housing development.
We are calling on the City of Cape Town and the relevant decision-makers to reconsider the proposed use of the site, meaningfully consult the community, and work with the club to find a solution that protects its sporting facilities and the people who depend on them.
A remarkable history that deserves to be protected
Protea Sports Club was founded in 1964 following a demonstration to the Mayor of Cape Town and other civic dignitaries showcasing the sporting achievements of disabled athletes who had competed at the Stoke Mandeville Games and the Tokyo Paralympics.
Two physiotherapists from Princess Alice Hospital established the club to help paraplegics continue participating in sport after being discharged from hospital. Its original purpose was to support rehabilitation through sport, particularly archery.
That purpose has grown into a legacy spanning more than six decades.
Protea has expanded its activities to include tennis, field events for disabled athletes, table tennis, wheelchair rugby for quadriplegics and serving as the home venue for the St Giles wheelchair basketball team. It has also provided social opportunities for disabled members through board games and cultural outings.
Archery remains the club's primary activity. Protea is one of South Africa's major archery venues and one of only three archery clubs in the greater Cape Town area. The club is affiliated with the Western Province Archery Association and the Western Province association for the physically disabled.
Over the years, Protea has produced national champions, Olympians and Paralympians across various sporting disciplines.
Yet the club receives no public funding. It relies on membership fees, private donations and fundraising to purchase the expensive, specialised equipment needed to support its sporting activities, particularly disability sport.
Protea is more than a piece of land. It is a place of rehabilitation, inclusion, achievement, friendship and belonging. It is part of Cape Town's sporting history.
Our athletes. Their competitions. Their future.
Protea's story isn't only about past achievements. It is about the athletes who train here today, the competitions they are preparing for and the goals they are working hard to achieve.
Behind every athlete is dedication, time, effort and a community that helps make participation possible. The loss of Protea could disrupt training, access to specialised facilities and the opportunities athletes need to continue progressing in their sporting careers.
These are real people with real goals. Their commitment deserves to be recognised, and they deserve a fair opportunity to continue training and competing in an environment that meets their needs.
When we fight to protect Protea, we are fighting for the athletes who are making sporting history today — and for those who have yet to begin their journey.
Why the future of Protea matters
We recognise that Cape Town faces a serious shortage of affordable housing. The need for housing is real, and we are not asking the City to ignore it.
But communities also need accessible sporting facilities, recreational spaces and opportunities for people of different ages and abilities to participate in sport. Housing and community facilities should be considered together when decisions are made about the future of our neighbourhoods.
Losing Protea without a suitable alternative could displace established sporting codes, interrupt athletes' training and competitions, and remove access to specialised facilities and equipment that may be difficult to replace elsewhere.
A general-purpose venue may not be sufficient. Disability sport and specialised disciplines such as archery require appropriate space, equipment, accessibility and a suitable environment.
Once a community facility is lost, its programmes, relationships, expertise and opportunities cannot simply be recreated overnight.
What are we asking for?
We call on the City of Cape Town and the relevant decision-makers to:
- Reconsider the proposed use of the Protea Sports Club site and explore all reasonable options to retain the existing sporting facilities alongside future development plans.
- Meaningfully consult the club committee, sporting codes, members, athletes and surrounding community before decisions affecting the club's future are finalised.
- Recognise and protect Protea's contribution to disability sport, rehabilitation, inclusion and sporting achievement, including the specialised facilities and equipment required by its members.
- If retaining the current site is genuinely not possible, commit to a suitable alternative before displacement occurs. Any replacement must be safe, accessible, affordable and capable of accommodating the affected sporting codes and their specialised requirements.
- Provide transparent communication about the status of the proposal, the decision-making process, the consultation undertaken and the options being considered for the club and its members.
This is about protecting our community's future
After more than six decades of service, Protea Sports Club deserves more than uncertainty. It deserves meaningful consultation and a genuine effort to protect its future.
We believe Cape Town should be able to pursue housing solutions while also protecting valuable community sporting facilities. The people who use and depend on Protea should have a voice in decisions that affect their lives, their sporting opportunities and their future.
Please sign this petition and share it with your friends, family, neighbours, fellow athletes and sports supporters.
Every signature helps demonstrate that Protea matters — to its athletes, its sporting codes, people with disabilities, families and the wider community.
Let us stand together to protect this historic sporting home, support the athletes who are training and competing today, and ensure that future generations have the opportunity to participate in sport.
SAVE PROTEA. PROTECT DISABILITY SPORT. SUPPORT OUR ATHLETES. PRESERVE OUR COMMUNITY'S SPORTING HOME.
Petition Updates
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Petition created on November 9, 2026