We have opened a permanent exhibition at the City Hall detailing the late President Nelson Mandela’s legacy. The exhibition also highlights those involved in the liberation struggle in Cape Town, the events leading up to Mandela’s release, and the transition into democracy. The exhibition is free, but due to Covid-19 protocols, you will need to…
Recalcitrant City: Cape Town, permission, procrastination and smokescreens
Graham Dominy – August 2021 There is an American saying, “You can’t fight City Hall and win!” There is also an ancient legend of a pipe-smoking pirate named Jan Van Hunks who challenged a sinister stranger to a pipe smoking competition on the slopes of Table Mountain. They smoked for days until the stranger gave…
A word from OCA chair
Our campaign against the River Club development will at last have its days in court from the 19th to the 21st January 2022. We are confident we have a strong case and judging by the misinformation being put out about us and the smears directed at us, the proponents of this development are worried. They…
Indigenous land dispute dogs Amazon’s Africa expansion
Kim Harrisberg – 9 August 2021 DURBAN, Aug 9 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Over 500 years ago, South Africa’s indigenous Khoi and San population fought off a Portuguese attack in one of the first, and most successful, anti-colonial battles in Africa. Today, some descendants of the Khoi and San view U.S. retail giant Amazon’s attempts…
Disputed Land Issues: The Case of the Khoi and San People and Amazon’s Headquarters
The recent struggle faced by the Khoi and San people of South Africa over their land being used to build Amazon’s African headquarters brings back to light never ending issues: the appropriation of indigenous land by mega corporation, with the cooperation of local governments. While sometimes these local governments are powerless in the face of…
Amazon warned: Don’t build on our sacred African soil
U.S. retail giant Amazon is once again caught in hot waters as it tries to establish another regional headquarter in Cape Town, South Africa. This time, the politically charged controversy and fight is over land and a river that some South African indigenous groups say are sacred and should be declared a World Heritage site….
Indigenous land dispute dogs efforts by US e-commerce giant to expand in Africa
Some descendants of South Africa’s indigenous Khoi and San population oppose Amazon’s plan to build its headquarters on their pristine land, according to a report by Reuters. Rights groups last week filed an interdict at the Western Cape High Court to halt the $284 million development which would include a hotel, residential units and retail…
Amazon’s Drive Into Africa – OpEd
Since 2004, Amazon has been building a foothold on the African continent. In Cape Town, it already employs thousands in a global call centre and a range of data hubs. Its South African career portal is a busy place, with the vast majority of advertised jobs located in Cape Town. In April, as part of…
The River Club: Truth is the biggest casualty in a propaganda war
14 DEC 2021 — There’s a war going on out there. In addition to the assaults on the environment and heritage, there’s also a propaganda war. And truth is the main casualty. While the earthmoving equipment is busy destroying the integrity of the Riverine Valley, the developers are desperately seeking to refashion the public narrative…
RIGHT OF REPLY | Leslie London: The River Club – Truth is biggest casualty in a propaganda war
Leslie London – 15 Dec 2021 Chair of the Observatory Civic Association Leslie London disputes claims made by the Liesbeek Leisure Properties Trust over the River Club redevelopment in Cape Town, writing that truth is the casualty. There is a propaganda war taking place over the River Club redevelopment in Cape Town, and the truth…