“Amazon and the Liesbeek Leisure Properties Trust must have been conscious that selecting the site carried with it the risk of substantial delays,” one architect said.
On the outskirts of Cape Town, at the base of Table Mountain and set back from a tangle of freeways, the Liesbeek and Black rivers meet in a small stretch of marshland.
They’ve filed petitions and lawsuits, appealed to media and lawmakers, and forced Capetonians to reckon with the uncomfortable question of whether they’re willing to prioritize economic development over the fight to recognize indigenous land rights in South Africa. Although Amazon delivery services aren’t yet available in South Africa, the e-commerce giant has long had a presence in the country.
Protestors scored an early victory against Amazon in March, when the High Court in Cape Town ordered Liesbeek Leisure to temporarily stop work, ruling that “the core consideration is the issue of proper and meaningful consultation with all affected First Nations Peoples.” As part of the development, $2.2 million will be spent on environmental rehabilitation, the ruling went on to suggest that “development might enhance the land’s resources.” Construction on the site continued, though nobody can say for sure when it will be completed.To Tauriq Jenkins, head of the Goringhaicona Khoi Khoin Indigenous Traditional council, an organization that represents some of the groups opposed to the site, the decision made little sense.
When the Dutch settled along the Liesbeek in the 17th century, parcels of the valley were allocated to farmers and cut off from the Khoisan. In response, the developer said that “there was no reason to believe there would be delays or legal challenges to what is ostensibly an attempt to breathe life into a dilapidated space,” and added that it had all the necessary approvals to move ahead.Part of the proposed development of the River Club site involves building a bridge from Berkley Road in Ndabeni, which ends under the M5 on the east bank of the Black River, over the river to join Liesbeek Parkway.
Nadia Vatalidis, a human resources specialist, was sanguine about the controversy. Although any project has its downsides, she said, South Africa needs the jobs and investment.
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