JOHANNESBURG SOUTH – Conservationist and grassland ecologist, Morné Brits, told members of the Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve Association, at an emergency meeting on Monday, October 19, that the Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ) and their contractors have not followed legal protocol.
JCPZ is currently implementing a master plan, Project Eagle Rox, a multi-phase development that includes landscaping and the construction of an entrance gate at the Entrance Precinct. According to Brits the construction activities taking place since September 2015 could be legal, illegal or a combination of both.
“I am not opposed to the correct development within the legal framework but JCPZ is blithely forging ahead with a master plan that has not been presented to the community and is in clear violation of Section 24 of the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA). JCPZ’s activities are illegal and could be construed as criminal according to recent changes in NEMA,” said Brits.
“KNR is a proclaimed nature reserve and any planned deliberate disturbance to its environment should be subject to the most rigorous oversight and approached with the utmost caution. The nature reserve is designated as a critical biodiversity area by the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (GDARD) and the vegetation and habitat of the KNR is
considered to be irreplaceable by GDARD. The construction activities are taking place through primary climax grassland and the damage to primary grassland is essentially irreparable, with a narrow window of opportunity in which uprooted plants can be successfully replanted and the impact on soils mitigated.”
On October 19 Brits reportedly had a meeting with JCPZ officials where they acknowledged that they were wrong. “This is a huge step forward. We must rectify the problem as soon as possible and minimise the damage already done,” added Brits.
The association meeting was split between those members who said the work on the boarded walkway was near completion and therefore should be allowed to be finished; and those who said the work should not go ahead. The meeting ended asking for suggestions from the floor about possible future developments in the nature reserve and how to go about them.
* At the time of going to print comment was not available from JPCZ.
