The Liesbeek Action Campaign says local authorities are still ignoring their arguments against the redevelopment of the River Club.
This comes after several applicants filed for leave to appeal the judge’s decision, halting construction of the development.
These applicants include: The First Nations Collective, the Liesbeek Leisure Properties Trust and – most recently – the MEC for Local Government and Environmental Affairs, Anton Bredell.
According to the Action Campaign’s Nadine Dirks, there was never enough input from indigenous communities on the land, heritage and resources:
“Our case that there was irreparable harm to cultural and heritage resources should the development proceed, is an argument we have been making throughout the process, has been strenuously ignored by the authorities, but was deemed valid by the court”.
Dirks says overturning this decision means that local government and developers are working hand-in-hand to overrun indigenous communities.
“The decision to overturn this historic judgement isn’t only on the developer, but also on government that include the provincial government and City of Cape Town. And for them to continue with the developer with public money, is an atrocious thing”.
