Who and what is AfriForum?

AfriForum is an Afrikaans civil rights organisation that protects the rights of minority groups at national as well as provincial level, and anyone who can identify with AfriForum’s principles and objectives may join the organisation. AfriForum’s community plan focuses on mobilising communities to thus take control of their own streets and neighbourhoods again. AfriForum ensures that your constitutional and civil rights are recognised and protected at national level.

Wie en wat is AfriForum?

AfriForum is ’n Afrikaanse burgerregteorganisasie wat die regte van minderheidsgroepe op sowel nasionale as provinsiale vlak beskerm, en enigiemand wat met AfriForum se beginsels en doelstellings kan identifiseer, mag by die organisasie aansluit. AfriForum se gemeenskapsplan fokus daarop om gemeenskappe te mobiliseer om só weer beheer terug te neem oor hul eie strate en woonbuurtes. AfriForum verseker dat jou grondwetlike én burgerregte op nasionale vlak erken en beskerm word.

AfriForum heads back to court over Wonderfontein development

Soundbite: Jaco Grobbelaar (English)

Klankgreep: Jaco Grobbelaar (Afrikaans)

AfriForum served court papers on the Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform, the Free State Department of Human Settlements and the Metsimaholo Local Municipality in an attempt to stop the Wonderfontein development between Sasolburg and Vanderbijlpark.

This follows after the Minister gave the Department approval to proceed with the development without explanation or sufficient motivation, despite the fact that the original conditions were not met. Earlier this year, the Municipality and the Department applied for exemption from the Minister after they failed for the past five years to comply with the requirements set out by the Metsimaholo Planning Tribunal. The exemption provides an extension of another five years to comply with the requirements.

According to Jaco Grobbelaar, AfriForum’s Head for the Central Region, the Minister’s decision to grant the exemption is ill-considered and contrary to the interests of the community. “The decision was taken without properly considering the consequences thereof. AfriForum wants to know on what grounds the Minister’s approval of the application was based. Were the plans and the Tribunal’s original requirements actually on the Minister’s table when the decision was made?”

The Municipality and the Department have been busy with the development for years but have not been able to meet any of the set requirements since the start of the project in 2019. “It is in the public’s interest that the Minister and the Municipality reveal what has changed to justify a further extension,” says Grobbelaar.

In addition to the set requirements not being met, it appears that there is no formal planning for infrastructure. To date, no official plans for the construction of a new sewage plant have been provided to AfriForum, nor have any plans for water supply, proper waste management, stormwater infrastructure or road infrastructure.

“AfriForum has already written letters to and had several meetings with the Municipality requesting that these plans be provided. However, the intended plan of action to tackle this development changes with each meeting and to date these plans have not yet seen the light of day,” concludes Grobbelaar.

The Wonderfontein development, which is being undertaken in extensions 74, 75, 76, 77, 78 and 79, is part of the Sasolburg Town Planning Scheme as approved by the Metsimaholo Planning Tribunal on 17 October 2019. The communities that will be most affected by this include the residents of Sasolburg, Vaalpark, SW5 (Vanderbijlpark) and parts along the Vaal River.

The matter has been provisionally placed on the unopposed court roll in the High Court in Bloemfontein for 7 August.