EYABANTU SUSPENDS PARTICIPATION IN NOQHEKWANA HOLIDAY RESORT PROJECT
After agonising for a lengthy period including various meetings with key stakeholders in the town, the community of Noqhekwana, the leadership in the area and Chief Zwelibanzi Mditshwa under whom the area falls and who had given the development her blessings, the Eyabantu Consortium has decided to suspend its participation in negotiations with Noqhekwana Community.
As earlier indicated the decision has not been taken lightly and it is a painful decision considering the benefits that were going to accrue to the community particularly Women and Youth of the area. Jobs opportunities at construction phase were estimated at 750 and 200 permanent jobs at full operation.
The Consortium had earlier identified Noqhekwana area because of its natural beauty and the fact that there was no land claim against the property unlike most of Port Saint Johns, which is under land claims. The reasons for suspending negotiations on the holiday resort development negotiations with the community are outlined hereunder:
- the leadership of the community extended the size of existing site that was occupied by a local resident doubling it from the standard allocation encroaching entirely on the agreed piece of land allocated to the development leaving the remaining area unsuitable for the agreed development;
- community invasion of an area with sensitive fauna and flora compromised any form of prospective negotiations as the project had committed to preserving any sensitive fauna and flora retaining the biodiversity of the area. The community claims that the area is theirs and they were in the process of lodging a claim with the Land Claims Commission. Even though no proof of the lodging of claim or the proof of acquisition of the land, this posed a security risk that the Consortium could not overlook.
Eyabantu is still committed to investing its resources in the Port Saint Johns area, as it believes that the area could provide a catalyst of the development of the region.
Issued by Pat Mdoda
3/8/2017
0832953000
patm@eyabantuholdings.com