The Princess Vlei Forum lost a very good friend with the passing of Graham Lashbrooke, who died on Midwinter’s Day, 21st June 2020, at the age of 80. 
From the founding of Princess Vlei Forum in 2012, Graham and his wife Mea were enthusiastic supporters of the campaign to save Princess Vlei from the destructive development of a shopping mall. Mea served on the management committee for several years, and Graham was always a willing participant in all events held by the Forum, including planting, picketing and parades. Graham also assisted as election officer in various Annual General Meetings. 
   Beyond his contribution to the environment, Graham was a passionate educator and understood that education provides the route forward. His field was information technology. For more than four decades, his training school transformed the lives of young people by enabling their careers in the IT industry. 
   Graham’s natural skill at bringing people together, coupled with his passion for education, led him to his role as founding member in 2004 of what today are two vibrant centres for education:  LEAP Maths and Science Schools http://leapschool.org.za/and TSIBA Business School https://www.tsiba.ac.za/ . To enable access to education and skills for students who could not afford the conventional route drove Graham until the end of his life. ​
    We salute Graham for his dedication to improving the lives of others, and for helping to defend our natural world from destruction. 
    We would like to offer our deepest condolences to Mea and family in this sad time. 

 
The Princess Vlei community lost a great stalwart with the passing of Dr Graham Noble in July. Graham was passionate about the environment, and about civic participation. 
    Graham was a  long standing member of the GCTCA, serving as treasurer and secretary at different times. He has spent many years in a spirited engagement with the City about community issues. When the Princess Vlei was threatened by the destructive development of a shopping mall on its banks, the GCTCA was one of the leading organisations to take up the struggle against the City, and Graham didn't hesitate to step in.
    Graham spent long hours gathering information and documents from the City, and was one of the main mobilisers of the early resistance to the mall. Thanks to his efforts and that of other community members, the City's Spatial Development and Land Use Management committee turned down the bid to develop the shopping mall. This decision was then overturned by the provincial Department of Environment, and the community and concerned organisations came together again to form the Princess Vlei Forum. Graham was one of the founding members of the Forum, and was very active in the campaign that followed. His meticulous attention to detail, and persistence in tracking documents, enabled the collection of critical evidence regarding the shopping mall bid, which helped to uncover some serious irregularities and possible fraud. This formed the basis for a case laid by the Forum with the Public Protector, and later for the case laid by Kelvin Cochran with the Hawks. The Forum was building a case against the City, when the City agreed to scrap the mall development. There is no doubt that Graham's dedication played an important part in this community victory. 
   In addition to his work on Princess Vlei, Graham was chairperson of the Scarborough Ratepayers Association, and very active in promoting a harmonious relationship between the human and wild animal community in that area. This included active efforts to save the baboons from extermination and injury by irate residents. 
     The Forum will sorely miss Graham's contributions to the organisation. We would like to pass sincere condolences to his wife and family. 

This Blog post was written by Zoë Chapman Poulsen and commissioned by the Botanical Society of South Africa. It was first published by the Botanical Society at https://botsocblog.wordpress.com/2020/08/03/community-and-partnerships-restoration-planting-at-princess-vlei/.  Photos: Zoë Chapman Poulsen and Bridget Pitt

​Thanks to the Botanical Society Kirstenbosch Branch for their generous contribution of funds, expertise and time. Volunteers from the Lions Club and Princess Vlei Forum community also assisted.   

On Saturday 25 July the Princess Vlei Forum (PVF), in partnership with the Botanical Society of South Africa Kirstenbosch Branch, held a planting event at The Greater Princess Vlei conservation area in Cape Town. More than 3 000 plants were planted on the day. The extinct in the wild Whorled Heath (Erica verticillata) and critically endangered Serruria foeniculacea were reintroduced for the first time. This event forms part of the ongoing pioneering ecological restoration taking place at the vlei, with multiple stakeholders, specialists and international partners. 
   Located on the Cape Flats near the suburbs of Fairways, Southfield, Heathfield, Grassy Park, and Retreat, Princess Vlei forms the gateway to the wetlands system of the False Bay Ecology Park, encompassing Rondevlei, Zeekoevlei and Zandvlei. This extensive wetland reserve forms an important community and heritage space, as well as habitat for birds and the endangered Western Leopard Toad.