Drakensberg Cable Car

Mabuyakhulu says public consultation is expected to wrap up at the end of this month.

I guess its a bit like the e-tolls consultation. A bit of badly advertised public consultation is apparently good enough. And now they have announced that KZN and the Western Cape will have e-tolls by the end of next year...

Did anyone get to the meeting? Would be interesting to know what was said.

If it was a company meeting (which it wasn't - sadly political and state matters are held to lower standards than company issues, e.g. a person with a criminal record can be president, but not a director of a company):

Section 62(1) of the Companies Act - Notice of meetings:

The company must deliver a notice of each shareholders meeting in the prescribed manner and form to all of the shareholders of the company as of the record date for the meeting, at least—
(a) 15 business days before the meeting is to begin, in the case of a public company or a nonprofit company that has voting members; or
(b) 10 business days before the meeting is to begin, in any other case.

Surely a public consultation should be held to at least the same level of notice?

I would expect at least 10 days warning before a meeting of this importance! Scary that they are steamrolling ahead so quickly.

I am a little bit torn on this cable car. I can see the reason, but I can see the flaws, And they are big.
In the beginning of this thread there was questions regarding money being put away for dismantling of the structure in case of bankruptcy (Possible regarding the unrealistic numbers expected), now after reading all these documents and proposals, I realise that I haven't seen anything preparing for removal? As far as I understand the law demands it. Is this normal in proposals and feasibility studies? I would expect it to be part of the planning from the beginning?
This is the most important question on my mind. (Along with the vultures, the community and their futile hard work for the protected area and the impact on the top of the berg).

The report from the ecr website mentions that the Public Participation Process PPP is to end at the end of Dec.

Bearing in mind, that according to Regulation 54 relating to the Public Participation Process PPP in the EIA docs, It says that no PPP may take place during the period of 15 December to 2 Jan.

So not sure if there are any more planned for next week, because they would have to wait until after 2 Jan.

If the local people want to have their area included in the Heritage Site, why don’t we help the aMazizi and aMangwane people appeal to UNESCO for the area to be included on the World Heritage in Danger List...? If they have been hoping to have the area included in the WH Site, maybe this strategy can help fast-track the process of inclusion... If they really want the area to be protected, they must appeal to the world body responsible.

Instead of appealing to tender-hungry MEC's and engineering firms, if we can help the local people garner international protection before this thing gets off the ground, maybe we can help save the area from the grubby and corrupt paws of the politicians... There should be someone in the community that we can contact regarding this? Maybe set up a proper consultation meeting between UNESCO and the local community?

If the correct consultation procedures aren’t being followed, if the issue is being unduly fast-tracked… There should some legal grounds to appeal to? There should also be enough documentation (shoddy feasibility docs…), news articles etc. to work from on this thread. Maybe Ghaz can draw up some financial model to indicate the inevitable failure of the project.

Any VE member fluent in legalese?

The Unesco World Heritage Centre can be contacted on:

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The South African commission to UNESCO can be found here:

South African National Commission for UNESCO
Address:
123 Schoeman Street
0001 Pretoria
South Africa
Mail Address:
Private Bag X895
0001 Pretoria
South Africa

Phone +(27-12) 357 3486 (SG)

Reuben Lefoka (Culture): +(27-12) 357 3477;
Zodwa Tsajwa (Education): +(27-12) 357 3489;
Lefika Chetty (Science and Communication): +(27-12) 357 3496
Fax +(27-12) 323 0388 (SG)
Reuben Lefoka (Culture): +(27-12) 323 2348;
Zodwa Tsajwa (Education): +(27-12) 323 2348;
Lefika Chetty (Science and Communication): +(27-12) 323 2348
E-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (SG); This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (Culture Sector); This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Name Mr Yousaf Gabru
Title Chairperson

Name Prof. S. Makhanya
Title Deputy Chairperson (acting Chairperson)

Name Mr Carlton Mukwevho
Title Secretary-General


Name Mr Tshifhiwa Netshituni
Title Programme Officer for the Culture Sector

As for myself, I’ll chain myself to the rockface when this thing gets started… That’s about as far as my skills in these matters go ☺

Not a bad idea darkwing...

As long as there are no bolts attaching the chains to the rockface I will be there too!

DarkwingDave wrote: There should also be enough documentation (shoddy feasibility docs…), news articles etc. to work from on this thread. Maybe Ghaz can draw up some financial model to indicate the inevitable failure of the project.

Its on my to do list - along with a fairly high number of other things. And here I was thinking I was going to have a quiet December

DarkwingDave wrote: Any VE member fluent in legalese?

Not fluent, but all accountants can speak legalese as a 2^nd language...

The motivation never made sense to me. I had suspected that the engineering company was taking some optimistic entrepreneur for a ride, but I suspect that "tender-hungry MEC's and engineering firms" hits the nail on the head. If greedy politicians are involved the whole matter becomes highly ominous and not to be laughed off, as I was formerly inclined to do.

Well done those have submitted written objections.

I wouldn't mind joining the bivouac on the rock face.