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 demands answers why Wonderfontein development may proceed

AfriForum has sent a letter to Mzanele Nyhonto, the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, demanding answers as to why the Free State Department of Human Settlements’ application for exemption, in relation to the Wonderfontein development between Sasolburg and Vanderbijlpark, was granted. This approval follows five years of failure by the Department to comply with requirements set out by the Metsimaholo Local Municipal Planning Tribunal. The application for exemption was brought from compliance provisions in terms of Section 43(2) of the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act (Act 16 of 2013). AfriForum has given the Minister seven days to provide reasons for his decision.

The development was temporarily halted in February this year. However, this soon took a turn for the worse when the Department of Human Development brought an application to the Director General of Land Reform and Rural Development after its period to comply with the requirements had expired. The Municipality initially had five years to comply with the requirements and if this was not met, the Municipality had to cease their development or obtain approval from the Minister for exemption from the legislation to proceed with the development. The application was granted on 6 March after which the Municipality and the Free State government immediately proceeded with the development.

The Minister may grant an exemption if it is in the public interest. However, AfriForum is of the opinion that the Minister’s decision is against the public interest and therefore wants to know on what he based his decision to allow the development to proceed.

According to Jaco Grobbelaar, AfriForum’s Head for the central region, the Minister’s decision was not well thought through and was taken without considering the consequences. “The Minister made an uninformed decision without considering the implications it may have for the community and the environment. In five years, the Municipality has not been able to put a plan on paper to get bulk infrastructure for the development, much less to put anything on the ground. Why would they suddenly manage to do so now – after the Minister’s decision? The development has major environmental implications, which will harm the already polluted Vaal River even more if it were to proceed,” says Grobbelaar.

This development, which is being undertaken in extensions 74, 75, 76, 77, 78 and 79, is part of the Sasolburg town planning scheme that was approved by the Metsimaholo Town Planning Tribunal on 17 October 2019.

Some of the requirements that had to be met include:

consolidation of plots as set out by the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act 16 of 2013;
renovation of the road network and infrastructure as detailed in the traffic impact study;
appointment of an independent contractor to carry out a complete infrastructure assessment;
design and build a new sewage plant to provide sufficient sewage for the development;
building and designing adequate storm water systems; and
submission of preliminary design plans of the houses to be built in the town development area (these plans must be submitted within six months of the approval of the development).

“AfriForum will continue to oppose the development until it can be proven that it can be done in an environmentally friendly manner. The Metsimaholo Municipality is not even able to maintain the towns it is already responsible of, but wants to develop a whole new town. AfriForum will use all its remedies, including going to court, to fight the development,” concludes Grobbelaar.