EWN (Eye Witness News)
January 10th, 2012
The Hout Bay Civil Rights Action Group on Tuesday said it is furious over reports that they may lose a piece of sacred land on Chapman Peak. Many residents are up in arms about the possibility that the free day pass for picnics and hikes could be scrapped. Western Cape transport authorities denied the allegations published in a Cape Times article. Resident Terry Wiener disagreed and said it looks like it is donated to a private company to build a toll plaza and opulent offices in the Table Mountain National Park heritage site and a protective areas act.
Guest: Weiner Terry
Organisation: Civil Rights Action Group
Position: member
VIDEO LINK: Storm brews over Chapman’s Peak development
I wish to register my vote against the building of the toll plaza.
Have sent a letter to GCTCA regarding suggestions concerning Chapmans Peak. You could access it there. In general it suggested widening the protest net internationally and having a bona fide donation system and resigning from the DA if they do not redress this atrocity.
Thanks R.Kearney … we have opened up a Avaaz Petition for “Protect Chapmans Peak” on which are details to a Trust Account now open with Cullinan & Associates who are administering the donations for our legal battle. Here is the link: http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/Protect_Chapmans_Peak_Movement/?fsfIjab&pv=5
South Africa is so privileged to have CT Mountain of which Chapman’s Peak is known and loved for the most beautiful sunset views – its the westernmost cherry on the top – of this significant World Heritage site. This stand-off I would suggest offers a unique launch pad for finding another way forward out of the current challenge between CRAG (the combined Civil Rights Action Group) and solutions currently on the “table” for the Chapman’s Peak toll road. This situation is in fact, I would suggest, just the tip of the iceberg. A far greater opportunity and challenge for Cape Town is at stake here. How best to work with the awesome opportunity offered to South Africans as having CT Mountain complex declared a World Heritage site? We have here been offered an opportunity to seek more far-reaching and creative solutions to tap into really solid and sustainable ways to use both tourist and local citizen participation to make this a highly protected, and economically viable “earth zone”. Economics and nature reserves are often pitched at opposite ends of the scale of partnership. This is not the only outcome possible? I am suggesting an argument for far more inclusive and far more visionary partnering here ahead for CT. This is a context far greater than mere B / W issues and posters. The black and white issues are that a unified response is urgently needed to protect and brand success-fully a solution for Cape Town’s Table Mountain complex! Indeed, as we have learned in Gauteng, Toll Roads are not the way to go – nor is it advisable to have the land rights and nature reserve heritage of all South Africans (indeed the global heritage of the southern most tip of the great Rift Valley south to north stretch of a magnificent geological phenomenon) placed in hands of a single corporate management team. Yes, the skills of corporates would be valuable, yes solutions are critical now to create real, sustainable development initiatives. Let South Africa draw on the best models for protecting natural sites from New Zealand, perhaps or from any other parts of world so that a new eco, earth rights plan is developed here for Cape Town please. Even if corporate entities are able to come up with a development model that partners more fully with South African citizens, and involves National Parks Board and so many more partners, let us ensure that “development” does not have to be a dirty word. Is this toll road and management center as proposed even legal, viable, given UNESCO guidelines for world heritage sites? Let’s lead the world in creating a World Heritage site solution that protects and supports the magnificence of this site. Consider perhaps the Earth Rights Institute that is committed to harnessing a culture of peace and justice in world by establishing dynamic worldwide networks of persons of goodwill and special skill, promoting policies and programs which further democratic rights to common heritage resources, and ro securing that we build more ecological communities. Perhaps they could offer a unique global backing for inviting more appropriate outcomes for this initiative? There are enough resources to draw from given the show of 2000 people marching against the proposed initiative. This is clearly a situation in need of a win-win solution – let’s devise one as South Africans. Involve UCT Business School, involve The South African Chamber of Commerce, World Wildlife Fund, UNESCO, and some of South Africa’s most brilliant eco-activists and eco lawyers, and participatory community development consultants and let us use this challenge to create a broader complex, plan of protections that support the rights of the earth in Chapman’s Peak at least to be protected also!
As South Africans – We can create an economic miracle, a nature reserve diversity plan, create zones of protection, job creation, tourism, eco protections constituted as an entire economy. Let us considers all the richness and abundance of CT so that it works for all Capetonians and South Africans also…This is too precious a resource to be glib about. Was Murray and Roberts offered some favours in exchange for building the road? I hope not. But all involved here need to be drawn in proactively so that we can still be secure a fully participatory, open, democratic, win-win solution. Let’s develop a model for this Table Mountain complex area in its entirety that is groundbreaking, innovative, and remarkable. We can mobilise as much tourist and voluntary energy as is behind upholding the likes of Yellowstone National Park perhaps but without all the mistakes made by this and other older national parks? Income generation and viable models of operation are possible – but they need to benefit the entire city of Cape Town and not a marginal few?
What a privilege to be able to learn from experience. Let’s learn from mistakes of other grand eco projects / nature zones located within grand metro poles / urban areas – and let’s commit to create our own unique South African solution for CT’s Grand Mountain in response to the challenge before us. I do not support adversarial relationships or reactivity- but advocate for a proactive plan being developed now for Chapman’s Peak Drive (and in fact incorporating the entire Cape peninsula complex that offers the best outcomes for all involved). What if Murray and Roberts stood for an eco-friendly solution that was groundbreaking? Offered a model for world standard eco tourism / eco protection back by corporate vision that allowed them to brand that input perhaps…. and what if they could direct all their Taxes currently harnessed from their construction projects constructively towards protecting Table Mountain so that these taxes could be productively channelled towards this initiative, as negotiated with SARS also? What if SARS joined this Proudly South African initiative as a full partner also? What if the youth of the Cape were fully drawn into this initiative constituted as a lead economic and environmental project of the sort of transformational energy envisaged by Mandela so many years ago? What if there was another way to approach this challenge now sitting as a stand-off and a power struggle?
Let’s unite our power and become co-creators of something worthwhile as a global project.
What if all CT’s NGOs and CBOs united to back this project? (Drawing on work of Rebecca Hickman in her CT book “How to help: 2010″ where she lists all the worthwhile causes needing support? What if every initiative listed here, and more, combined their civil initiative and their vision as organisations and institutions wanting to create a new CT lead project? As a Johannes burger, I urge all South Africans to support the interests and opportunity offered here – and to submit your iudeas and to commit your support.
The IMF this week suggests a decline in future growth for South Africa. I suggest we take this as a challenge and to prove otherwise to the world that we are not only a miracle country but also that we are also capable of creating an economic miracle by working together with a new participatory vision?
I am proudly South African – let’s all create a win-win solution here that is worthy of our Rainbow nation. I read somewhere this week that all South Africans working together in support of worthy visions have the ability to create combined initiatives – and stand as a undeniable force for change that is even far more remarkable globally – even more so – than was created around 1994 … good practice is simply that, best practice! Will we stand together as citizen, unionist, corporate management, and communities –in support of one of the most beautiful cities in the world with its rich heritage of nature declared a Global Heritage site – or will we be stand divided. “Eendracht maak Macht”…. Unity is strength South Africa!
Letter sent to Cape Times 18 January and published -
‘Henry Geyser is correct in his letter ‘CALLING ZILLE’ and her deafening silence concerning the office block planned for Chapman’s Peak – Cape Times 18 Jan. I have tried several times to make contact with Zille and Carlisle but to no avail. Perhaps Zille needs reminding that it is her job to work for the people who voted her into power instead of hiding in her Ivory Tower – perhaps that will be moved to Chapman’s Peak? I used to have confidence that the DA would always try to do the right thing. I now have doubts.
And here is a letter sent to the Cape Times 23 January but not published:-
‘IT’S GOT TO BE STOPPED
Stop using the toll road. Stop paying tolls if you do use the road. Stop voting for the DA until these arrogant politicians realize that they are public servants. Their main priority should be to help the poor and not the rich. Carlisle’s flagrant disregard for the environment is a disgrace.