Drakensberg Cable Car

SABC Radio recorded a "sound bite" today on the cableway proposal. It's a 3 minute clip in which various pre-recorded views are presented. Mabuyakhulu was interviewed and I was also contacted for a view point of those against the proposal. It should be available for their 18 odd radio stations across the country from tomorrow. The major stations include RSG, SAFM, Radio 2000, Ukhozi and Lotos. If anyone is listening to these, keep an ear open for the sound bite, and if there is any way you can record it, would be great.

ghaznavid wrote: Just looking over some old articles. Is it just me or does this "3300m top" really bug everyone? The proposed top is 3143m, assuming it tops out on the khulu itself.

Perhaps when they say 3300m, they are talking about the proposed extension to Mont-Aux-Sources (3282m). Surely the extension will never happen, but is it possible that they will actually build the entire thing at the same time?

I think this is another case of classic mis-information. They are even confused about where the real Mount Amery is. Scary isn't it.

no4stopper wrote:

From Tourismupdate.co.za

Last week’s poll: Is the Drakensberg cableway a good idea?

Last week, we asked readers what they thought about KZN’s plans to build a cableway in the Drakensberg. The majority of the respondents, or 66%, did not support the plans, while 34% supported the plans.

So two out of three people involved in tourism think it is a bad idea.

On the Facebook poll only about 6% of the voters are currently in favour, with a larger number of voters. That more people are in favour on the tourism site vote could be understood in terms of people in the tourism sector thinking its a good idea for the potential tourism boost. Still, even with 1 in 3 being in favour, it shows that the proposal runs a very high risk of failure due to lack of public support. The cableway can only work with a big positive buy in from the locals and the public at large. Currently this seems to be severely lacking.

Guardian wrote:

Lists of what to do in KZN do list the Drakensberg, but its always right at the bottom of the list.

That is exactly the reason why they are trying to raise the profile for the berg with this cablecar is it not? If the cablecar can get the berg on the international tourist map along with kruger and Table mountain, then surely it is a good thing?

It would be great if more people treasured the Berg like we did on this forum, isn't it? The fact is, interest in the Berg is severely limited. It just isn't something that large numbers of local and foreign tourists are interested in. I've been running this site for 7 years - you kinda get a feel for how much interest there is in the Berg. I wish it was more.

If the Berg is not drawing the numbers already, will the building of a cable car change that significantly? The attraction itself (the Berg) is not significant enough evidently, and the cableway in and of itself is not the attraction either.

And why the single option of a cableway? Why is this the one and only solution? Many other things could be done at a fraction of the cost.

The cableway is part of the 20 year master tourism plan for KZN. The plan is aimed at boosting the declining tourism stats in the province. Question is, why has tourism declined? And will building new toys change that trend (like cablways and statues of King Shaka)? What are the real reasons for the decline of tourism in KZN and why not rather address what has chased people away.

Guardian wrote: *I do not like how being labeled an environmental group is a way to discredit an organisation these days. I think it stems from fundamentalism that is often necessarily present in environmental arguments. Any group that rises fundamental flaws should be taken seriously. And the concerns raised about this project should not be grouped under "The environmental groups" as in the article. Since concerns have actually not been focussed on the environmental aspect, if it were VE, WAG etc will have been moaning about the (real) danger for the vultures not the financial and social aspects.

In another article those opposing the cableway were referred to as having "sectarian interests". Why does the DEDT welcome public participation but doesn't actually want to hear any objection or negative comments? It is easy to label us as being environmental extremists to discredit us. As you have correctly pointed out, the prime objections right now are the financial infeasibility and the fact that many AmaZizi don't want it. We haven't even been driving the environmental points that much. According to the Precationary Principle, it is up to the DEDT to prove that the cableway will NOT impact the environment in the EIA. The onus is not on us to prove that it will.

I find it very concerning that no response is evident from the DEDT about the fact that the AmaZizi leadership have indicated that they do not support the cableway. As it stands, they cannot secure the lease of the land this way. So why should the current proposal even continue?

DEDT is pushing hard for the EIA, today's new on ECR:
www.ecr.co.za/post/environmental-assessment-set-for-cable-car-site/
Shouldn’t UNESCO have been informed long ago, along with a definite go ahead from the AmaZizi leadership? Putting the cart before the horse?

More details from yesterday's press release revealed in The Times today:
www.timeslive.co.za/thetimes/2014/01/31/cableway-may-enter-lesotho

KwaZulu-Natal economic development and tourism MEC Michael Mabuyakhulu met tourism officials from Lesotho and the Free State to discuss extending the cableway by 5km into Lesotho.

Mabuyakhulu said market testing is expected to be completed by the end of next month and a project developer will be appointed to help the department find a strategic partner.

He said the department hoped to find an investor by September.

"This process will go simultaneously with the environmental impact assessment," Mabuyakhulu said.

Also revealed in The Witness today:

THE public participation process around plans or a cable car up a Drakensberg mountain has been extended to February 14,

goo.gl/Z0qW4G