Cape Town - Situated adjacent to Somerset Mall and over the dunes from the Strand Marine Protected Area lies Paardevlei, a natural oasis.
A petition has been launched to protect the wetland, as proposals for various developments in the area are currently under consideration by the City of Cape Town, potentially threatening the vlei’s delicate ecosystem.
The petition, started by Tiffany Schultz, chairperson of the Friends of Paardevlei Wetland, has already collected close to 3 000 signatures.
According to Schultz, the sanctuary faces a major threat from the new developments.
The proposal before the City is to ultimately accommodate around 2 430 residential opportunities and 147 000m² of mixed use bulk (including office, retail, light industrial, institutional, roads and open spaces).
Schultz said the construction projects were approved without local environmental organisations being properly notified and allowed to comment.
“The approved development of Precinct 2 in Paardevlei will not just confine the wetland but profoundly impact its wildlife habitat and disrupt the tranquillity it offers us, locals and tourists,” Schultz said.
Paardevlei is a beloved haven for locals who like to take walks and get fresh air as an escape from the Helderberg basin’s increasingly urbanised hustle.
The Somerset West Bird Club estimates that Paardevlei is home to hundreds of different species. These include the Maccoa duck, blue crane, greater and lesser flamingos, and the Cape dwarf chameleon, among other threatened and endangered species.
According to Willene van der Merwe, chairperson of the Somerset West Bird Club, most of the wetlands and rivers between Somerset West and Cape Town have been severely affected by pollution, farming, and housing construction, resulting in a significant loss of bird habitats.
“Paardevlei is the last sanctuary where close to 200 species of wildlife can survive in a natural habitat that should be retained as such at all costs,” she said. “As those who benefit from and enjoy its thriving ecosystem, we deserve to have a say in its future.”
The Somerset West Ratepayers Association said it opposed the project.
“This project affects the sensitive biodiversity and aquatic ecosystem of the region. The EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) was done by an environmental consultant from the Eastern Cape, who is clearly not aware of Paardevlei’s important role in the local ecosystem, the association said.
The City’s deputy mayor and Mayco member for spatial planning and environment, Eddie Andrews, said he was unaware of the petition.
“The City was not aware of this petition prior to receiving this enquiry and as such, cannot comment before we have familiarised ourselves with the content,” Andrews said.
He said the Precinct 2 land use application process included a public participation process as prescribed in the City’s Municipal Planning By-law.
Precinct 2 is the land to the north, east and west of the vlei, but excluding the vlei itself, he said.
The application was approved by the Municipal Planning Tribunal on November 23, 2021.
“There were also on-site notices placed during the commenting period from May 14, 2021 to June 18, 2021,” Andrews said.
At the time, only one objection was received from Ndifuna Ukwazi, a non-profit activist organisation and law centre, Andrews said.
However, the ratepayers association said the public participation process was done more than 10 years ago and therefore no longer valid.
“There has been a great deal of pushback from the community of Somerset West and the greater Helderberg region,” it said.
Schultz further requested the City to consider the ecological value of the Paardevlei.
“Be a part of this cause to conserve our nature, ecosystem, and heritage. Please sign the petition and join our plea to protect Paardevlei,” she said.
Cape Argus