The Western Cape’s environmental authorities say the revoking of Driftsands Nature Reserve’s status was necessary.
Land invasions have resulted in the area being removed from the list of nature reserves.
The Provincial Environmental Affairs Department filed the request, following evidence of irreversible environmental and ecological damage to the area.
Residents of the Covid informal settlement have been unlawfully occupying the nature reserve since 2020.
About 11-thousand-500 structures have been built there – most of them in high flood-risk areas.
The DA’s Andricus van der Westhuizen says the decision was correct.
“The reserve was overrun by illegal occupants after the national government banned landowners from acting against land invaders. While the Covid-19 regulations are now lifted, the ecological damage done to highly endangered species is irrevocable.”
