A Social Compact must be about a public, not private, benefit

24 JUN 2021 —  Today the LLPT announced news of an event featuring a so-called Social Compact between the developers and the First Nations Collective (FNC). This is not surprising though it is rather illogical. A Social Compact is an implicit agreement among the members of a society to co-operate for social benefits, for example by…

Not a Rubbish Dump, Jody.

23 JUN 2021 —  In March 2020, Jody Aufrichtig claimed in a letter to the Cape Argus newspaper that “The River Club site is in fact severely under-utilised, closed to the public and degraded, with some parts being used as a rubbish dump.” Well, the LLPT, as legally required to do, have done a faunal search and…

We should trust the science, Jody – but all of the science

20 JUN 2021 —  Today our update is focused on science and pollen. Here’s why … Jody Aufrichtig, spokesperson for LLPT, the River Club developers, published a recent Right to Reply in the Daily Maverick, dismissing criticisms of the re-development by claiming that we should “trust the science” and “trust the experts”. But what Jody really…

The People have spoken – more than 50 000 of them!

16 JUN 2021 —  Today the people’s voice was heard in Cape Town. The Voice of the Goringhaicona. The Voice of the !Aman Traditional Authority. The Voice of the Kai Korana Trans frontier. The Voice of the A|XARRA Restorative Justice Forum. The Voice of the Salt River Heritage Society. The Voice of the BoKaap Civic Association. The…

50000+ Voices Matter: Stop the River Club Development!

14 JUN 2021 —  Incredible! Jeff Bezos may be blasting off into outer space but our petition rocketed up to over 50 000 signatures in the past few days. I guess it must surely now get through to Jody Aufrichtig that a lot of people are opposed to his development. Quite a lot of people. I say that…

Amazon on the Liesbeek: A tale of two rivers

23 MAY 2021 —  It’s now clear that the driving force behind the River Club development is Amazon, the company whose profits have tripled during the COVID-19 epidemic. Since there are huge profits to be made from the River Club developments, it is money that is dictating how this development is being pushed through. Faced with…

The Amazonification of the Liesbeek River Valley

9 MAY 2021 —  It’s now no secret that Amazon are the driver behind the River Club development. Pro-development groups gush over the fact and welcome Amazon’s investment in Cape Town, but never stop to ask why Amazon has turned a sacred heritage site and environmentally sensitive floodplain into an investment opportunity when there are…