Zandvlei Trust 

N21 Toll Road Letters

This letter by Charles Oertel was in The Argus on 03/05/2004

Stop this toll road

The Penway Consortium is proposing to build a 6-lane toll road (the N21/R300) through the wetlands in front of my home. In the developer's own words, the road is just "an investment". This is an unsolicited bid (i.e. nobody asked for the road), and according to city planners is contrary to the plans for the area.

In order to stop developers like this from getting rich by taking common assets (public nature reserves, open space, fresh air, scenic views, peace and quiet and biodiversity) from us all, the government requires the developer to conduct an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) with public participation. 
Unfortunately, the new process does not actually stop the development: the announcement will be that an EIA was performed, and the road has been approved (no mention of the recommendation in the EIA report). What the new process does is allow the developer to use the public to do some of their design and planning work.The EIA process has taken several years - and in all that time civil society has given up hundreds of hours to review reports, give feedback and provide input - all for free.

Now the final draft report has been released - over 1200 pages of official reports, filled with assumptions, errors and double-speak. The company doing the assessment is paid consultant rates for the (incomplete) work they produce, and the developers stand to make a lot of money when the plan goes ahead.The ordinary people in my situation can only lose - if the road goes ahead our living environment will be destroyed (try living 20m downwind of a highway), and the value of our humble homes will plummet; if it doesn't go ahead now we will forever be defending the environment against developers and paid consultants looking to make a buck from one of the last open stretches on the Cape Flats.

While the developer's claim the road will improve the economics of the Western Cape, the scheme looks to me like a road by the rich for the rich. A company with money to invest is taking from the poor (those along the proposed route), to meet the transport needs of more affluent sectors of the city (those to whom time is money, who choose where to live independently of where they must work, and who have a car).

The Zandvlei Trust and Zeekoevlei Environmental Forum will be staging a protest against the road. If you are also too busy earning a living to stop this nonsense, but want to contribute in some way, join us at the Westlake Wetland, Main Road, Lakeside, from 9.00 a.m. on Saturday, 8 May 2004. You will be able to see some of what you stand to lose and fight for it.

Contact Charles on (021) 701 8231 for more information.

This letter by Ludine Lee-Wright was in The Argus on 29/04/2004.

Tourism beats road

The article"A road may run through it" (April 21) should not be misconstrued. Protecting the remnants of the Cape Flats wetlands is vital to safeguard our life-support systems.
The developer's environmental consultant's reports confirm that the proposed R300 toll road would severely prejudice these.
It would be more beneficial to protect our eco-tourism prospects for job creation. I cannot see how a road can outdo the foreign currency coming from eco-tourism.

Click to enlarge this letter in the Argus on 27th March 2002 
from Zeekoevlei Environmental Forum – Laurianne Claase.

This letter was in the Argus on 15th April 2002
from Durbanville Environment Forum – Jonathan Cartwright.