Drakensberg Cable Car

Thanks everyone for your input again, have updated the Word doc accordingly. I have put my name on it for what its worth, though for me what is important and significant is the way in which this community has collectively put the statement together - so thanks to everyone for that.

The main punch of the statement by the locals of the Mnweni for me is: nobody has even spoken to them (shocking!), and they are not fooled into thinking the cable car will magically uplift the whole community.

Doesn't surprise me that certain details are being kept quiet.

The last article on the cable car in the Witness stated:

The communities have yet to be consulted directly — their attendance at the June 6 meeting was not by invitation. However, they have been aware of the proposed cableway for some time, and at a meeting held in September last year, there was unanimous opposition to the cableway. “The cableway will destroy our community and our wilderness (ihlane),” said one representative.

Ive just had a phone chat with people from The Times. They will be writing a general article on the cable car idea (like the feasibility study going ahead) and along with that they will present some our objections that we raised on our statement. Will keep you posted.

The difficulty Im starting to realise is that our statement is firstly too long for some formats. Secondly "letters to the editors" are sometimes only accepted in response to something which the paper has already published - and that often has to be from their own reporters, not from the outside. Thirdly they tend to want to publish both sides of the story. Will see as we go along. The arguments about safety and viability are very strong ones and I think these will hit home.

Two publications so far:

The Witness

Times Live

I have also published the article on our own blogs here too. This makes it easier to refer to. It has a link to the Word document too.

www.vertical-endeavour.com/blog/33-drakensberg/general/226-white-elephants-shouldnt-roam-the-berg.html