Save the bushbabies!

A petition has been started by Waterford residents concerned with the fate of the last bushbabies left in Johannesburg.

The area where the animals currently live lies between the Waterford Estate and the Shining Stars Preschool off Witkoppen Road, in a small area between buildings. The stretch of land has been earmarked for residential development, with about 13 houses slated to be built. Residents from the area have been protesting the plans since August last year.

One of the main challengers to the plans, Susanna Volland said, “We sincerely believe that with so many thousands objecting [to the development] we will be successful in our objective to stop the development and save the last of the green areas in Fourways, which are disappearing fast, and most importantly the bushbabies whose habitat is shrinking so fast that they will die.

“We are striving for 10 000 signatures [on the petition] and in less than four days we received over 2 200 signatures from around the world.”

According to Volland, the petition will be handed over to the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Council and the office of Herman Mashaba, mayor of the city, the week ending 16 June. A tribunal hearing was held by the City on 7 May regarding the matter and a decision should be announced before the end of June.

Friends of Free Wildlife‘s Margi Brocklehurst agreed that the wellbeing of bushbabies and other wildlife should be a priority for residents. “I agree that we should keep the green area and protect the bushbabies.

“About 10 years ago I knew of about three or four troops of bushbabies who lived in that area and that would move around the river [next to the area where the bushbabies live now], but I don’t know much about the population nowadays,” Brocklehurst told the Fourways Review.

It is still unclear who owns the land and which company is responsible for the development plans.

Matome Mafokwane, councillor for Ward 115 in which the servitude falls, is aware of the situation and wants the residents to have answers as to why the development was approved.

“We should be asking the question: how was this development approved? Was there an opportunity for public participation?. Who in the city approved the plans?,” said Mafokwane.

“Yes we are pro-development, many people move to the city and we never want to be in the way of development, but we have picked up issues here.

“I want the city manager to investigate and overturn all stones to find out we got into this mess, and I want them to apologise to residents as the reasons [residents object] are legitimate.”

For more information, or to get involved, you can contact Susanna Volland on Facebook or sign the petition at www.tinyurl.com/yd76j45t

Talk to us about this story by emailing our news editor at sarahk@caxton.co.za