Illegal resorts in iSimangeliso park demolished
16 Feb 2010 Sapa
http://www.witness.co.za/index.php?showcontent&global[_id]=35937
ISIMANGALISO Wetland Park officials yesterday demolished three resorts declared illegal by the high court in Durban late last year.
“Three unauthorised commercial developments were today [Monday] dismantled by an independent contractor in the presence of the sheriff of the high court,” iSimangaliso CEO Andrew Zaloumis said.
The three resorts were built in the Coastal Forest Reserve in Kosi Bay, which is part of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 2000.
Police officers accompanied the sheriff to ensure the court orders were correctly executed.
Speaking after his property was demolished, George Francois said he was “devastated and angry”.
“They destroyed my structure today. I am totally devastated. I have lost more than R500 000, which I raised by selling my only house.”
On November 23 last year the high court ruled that, should the developers fail to demolish the properties before December 31, conservation authorities would tear them down, restore the damaged bush and recover the costs from them.
Francois, whose resort was in the KwaDapha area in Kosi Bay, said he got permission to build from local traditional leaders.
“When I got a permission to build the lodge, I sold my house … so that I would use the proceeds to build it. That money is gone now and I am homeless.”
Francois, who was in hospital awaiting the delivery of his first daughter when interviewed, said he had been told his belongings were stolen when his property was demolished. He partnered with local residents to build the lodge because he wanted to uplift the community.
Chairman of the iSimangaliso Authority, Mavuso Msimang, said the resorts were demolished after the owners refused to make “a voluntary and dignified exit”.
“If we did not do this we would be failing in our commitments and responsibilities to the people of South Africa, to future generations and to the world.”
With the resorts demolished, the heat is on the local traditional leader, inkosi Mabhudu Tembe, to resign from the iSimangaliso board.
In a meeting held recently, angry residents asked Tembe to resign from the board.
This is bad news for us as residents of Umkhanyakude, and shows the blatant disrespect for the local population that our governement has.
The IWPA (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority) has had the local rsidents removed to make way for international tourism opperators to make use of these same sites, and exclude them from the income generating stream.
this needs carefull evaluation by us and other parties. If the IWPA allows any others to develop any where else in the park WE WILL NEED A FULL INVESTIGATION.
I will be personaly looking into these matters and will write more else where to ensure elevation of this matter to better SERP’s and higher public profile.
Comment by Frank Gainsford — February 18, 2010 @ 3:38 pm
The IWPA plan as mandated by the Municipal systems act and other legislation should have been available to these developers so that the would know the procedures that they had to follow.
How ever this plan as mandated is very elusive and is not available to the public. How is the public surposed to know what the rules are when the rule book is not available, and the referree is out of town ?
This issue is not what it appears to be at first sight. The local population of the coastal forest reserve area within the Elephant Coast have systemacticaly been excluded from the tourism loop. The legislation and associated ROD (Record Of Decision) which was issued to close our beaches to 4X4 Vehicle access also stipulates that the IWPA (Then Called the Greater St. Lucia Wetalnds Park Authority) have an IMP (Integrated Management Plan) in place, and that this IMP (Integrated Managment Plan of the IWPA) be integrated with the local Municipalities plans
1) Mtubatuba Local Municipality
2) Jozini Local Municipality
3) UMhlabu’yalingana Local Municipality (Kozi Ba Region)
4) Hlabisa Local Municipality
5) Big 5 False Bay Local Municipality
6) as well as the Umkhanyakude district Municipalities IDP (Integrated Dvelopment Plan)
This has not been done, which leaves developers in a very difficult situation, where the are sent from pillar to post and back again, but still have no access to the latest IMP (integrated Manage,ment Plan for the iSimangaliso Wetalnd Park Authority)
Special Mesage to all developers :::::
Please request the latest copy of the iSimangaliso wetland park authority from the locamunicipality where you lodge your application for development. the law stipulates that this IMP should be available at all loacl municipalities, and also be integrated into the local municipalities plans.
If these plans are not available please make applications for a court order to have these made available to you.
failing to do this will result in activities as discused above, and you will sit with the debts, and be forced to eat humble pie.
Your help in preventing a repetition will be appreciated.
Comment by Frank Gainsford — February 20, 2010 @ 5:12 pm
The second pargraph reads
Quote – Three unauthorised commercial developments were today [Monday] dismantled by an independent contractor in the presence of the sheriff of the high court,” iSimangaliso CEO Andrew Zaloumis said. end quote
Is there any body out there who can tell us as potential developers and investors where and how one is to obtain this authority, and to which municipal entity any such application should be lodged.
Those who made these developments certainly believed that they had obtained the necesary permission, from the apropriate aiuthority. The fact that the IWPA IMP (iSimangaliso Wetalnd Park Authority Integrated Management Plan) is not actualy integrated into any of their neighbours plans plays a pivital part in the process.
These developers need to take this issue up, and all current developers who are in the Umkhanyakude District Municipality or the Elephant Coast of KZN South Africa need to take this as a wake up call and ensure that enogh political and social pressure is placed on the management of the IWPA (iSimangaliso Wetalnd Park Authority) to come forward with their plan and ensure that it is integrated into the 5 locsl municpalities IDP (integrated Development Plam) as is mandated by the World heritage Act as well as the 4×4 ban (ROD -Record of decision – Used to close our coastal Recreational User Areas (RUA) to reasonable motor vehicle access
The IWPA (iSimangaliso Wetalnd Park Authority) is at fault here and this issue needs to be addressed in the proper forums, so that all ilegal development may be addressed and solutions found that accommodate the interests of the local population who rely on toursim that is associated with the recreational use of our natural resouces such as
our beaches,
our rivers and dams,
our game reserves,
other rural areas where our rural population live and play
The five local municipalities affected by this issue are
Hlabisa
Jozini
Mtubatuba
Big 5 falsebay
UMhlabu’yalingana
your interest in this matteris appreciated. thanx for reading this. Please tell others
Comment by Frank Gainsford — February 21, 2010 @ 6:53 pm