The Princess Vlei Forum greatly welcomes the announcement that the City has cancelled the plans for a mall at Princess Vlei. Deputy Mayor Ian Neilson made the announcement at the Forum’s Day of Action and Celebration at Princess Vlei on March 22, turning the planned protest into a party.  He assured the crowd that the plans were not shelved, but cancelled, and further that he looked forward to working with community in developing the area in a way the people wanted.

This represents a significant victory for civil society. It is a testament to the power of collective imagination, the power of memory, and the tenacity and determination of those who recognised that the value of this space far out-weighs the value of a shopping mall. The communities most invested in Princess Vlei have limited financial resources. At times it seemed impossible that we would win against the march of profit.  But as one resident remarked to us “If our people stand together we can win this thing.” Princess Vlei represents what can happen when citizens take ownership of their city, and collaborate to ensure that what they value is respected.

The struggle to save Princess Vlei has been a long one, originally inspired by local resident Kelvin Cochrane over five years ago. He initiated a project to rehabilitate Princess Vlei called Dressing the Princess, and encouraged local schools and community members to get involved. For him, it went beyond the rehabilitation of valuable fynbos – by beautifying the area, he was restoring dignity to the neglected and marginalised communities on its banks.

The campaign was taken up by the Lotus River and Grassy Park Residents Association, the Greater Cape Town Civic Alliance, the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa,  and other organisations, and the Princess Vlei Forum was formed to spearhead opposition to the mall. The People’s Plan, inspired by Cochrane’s vision of a nature and heritage park at Princess Vlei, became the basis of a community campaign to develop an alternative vision of the space. Last year, the PVF submitted a proposal for a community driven process to design this park to the Word Design Capital, which was shortlisted. It was excluded however from the final list because of the Mall proposal.

In the past five years, the Forum has held several events at the vlei, including community plantings, educational events, carnivals, parades, art events and many others. We have mobilised thousands through print and online media and petitions – 8000 signatures were handed to Neilson on Saturday. We have consulted through workshops, surveys, and interviews, and have developed the people’s plan into a people’s vision for a nature and heritage park. This was handed to the Deputy Mayor on March 22.

The Deputy Mayor’s statement is welcome. But we need more than verbal assurances. In 2011, it seemed as if the issue was won, but victory was snatched away from us when MEC Bredell overturned a decision by council on the rezoning. We are therefore calling on the City to:

• Pass a resolution confirming Neilson’s statement at the next Council Meeting
• Revoke the rezoning, and ensure that it is once more zoned as public open space
• Incorporate the erf that was to be sold to the developer into the Greater Princess Vlei Conservation Area.
• Meet with us to discuss a way forward to a community led transformation of the area into a nature and heritage park
• Ensure that any further public moneys spent on Princess Vlei go towards developing this park.

The Day of Action and Celebration showed us what the space could be, as hundreds came together to picnic, to listen to music, to enjoy art projects by Michealis and CPUT students, to paddle, to launch a floating wetland, to learn and to play. We look forward to working with the City in making this vision an ongoing reality at Princess Vlei.

·  22 Mar 2014 ·  Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition) ·  KOWTHAR SOLOMON

City decides to shelve proposed mall, car park and taxi rank

THE CITY of Cape Town has done an about-turn on its decision to sell part of Princess Vlei to mall developers, putting an end to a contentious issue that has dragged on for more than 15 years.

The city told Weekend Argus exclusively that it would today announce its decision to shelve the proposed mall, adjacent car park and taxi rank.

The plans were strongly opposed by environmental lobby groups and residents of neighbouring working-class suburbs who use the green area for ceremonies and recreation.

The development of the land, which is of historical significance to the Khoisan and lies in the endangered Cape Flats fynbos biome, had been in the offing since Insight Property Developers tried to buy it from the city in 1998.

Today’s announcement is likely to be welcomed by environmental groups such as the Princess Vlei Forum, and will put an end to their stand-off with the city, which had the final say after the provincial government gave the deal the green light.

The forum opposed the development of the vlei due to its rich environmental, cultural and historical significance.

Deputy mayor Ian Neilson said yesterday the city had been searching for alternatives before announcing an official halt to the project.

“The city has been in discussion with the prospective developers of the land over the past year to investigate alternatives. We have come to the conclusion that, notwithstanding the zoning that has been achieved for the development, the only workable option would be for the city to cancel the proposed sale.

“Our own valuation of the social value of the land surrounding Princess Vlei, and its potential for enhanced social benefit, has led us to the conclusion that a different vision is required for the land, a vision that we look forward to developing with our residents.”

Insight Property Developers would be compensated for cancellation of the project, although the city was unable to provide an exact figure as it said some legal issues remained outstanding.

Neilson said the city believed the amount would be acceptable to both parties.

The wetland is steeped in Khoisan legend. It is named after a Khoisan princess who, according to legend, was abducted by Portuguese sailors while she bathed in the waters of the vlei. It was also one of the few natural areas coloured people could visit after the apartheid government relocated them to the Cape Flats.

The Cape Town Biodiversity Network listed the vlei as part of its network in 2008 after a study found it contained unique Cape Flats dune strandveld and sand fynbos.

The proposed sale of the wetland was rejected by the city in 2009, but the provincial government overturned the decision.

The city then agreed to sell off a portion of the land late last year, sparking fury from communities.

Allegations of fraud and corruption by the forum, which claimed there were “serious irregularities” about the sale and its approval, led to an investigation by the Hawks and the deal was put on hold.

The lobby to end the development plans was boosted in September when Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu threw his weight behind the preservation of Princess Vlei in a letter to the forum.

“I would like to express my support for the campaign to save the greater Princess Vlei area from the inappropriate development of a shopping mall, and for its protection in perpetuity as a nature and heritage park. Princess Vlei is a valuable place for citizens to come to be close to God and nature, to find peace and to build family and community,” he said.

“It is a much-loved gathering place for communities from surrounding areas. Before the Group Areas Act, landowners of all races lived on its banks. Let us stop destroying our beautiful world for the sake of short-term profit. Let us use our laws to safeguard our natural and cultural heritage.”

Today’s announcement paves the way for the forum to continue its own project to revitalise the land, “Dressing the Princess”.

The project aims to restore Princess Vlei after years of neglect by authorities, with plans that include setting up a Khoisan Village to teach people more about the indigenous culture, an outdoor market, an eco-friendly park for children, and hiking trails.