It is 7 weeks since the Observatory Civic Association (OCA) and the Goringhaicona Khoi Khoin Indigenous Traditional Council (GKKITC) lodged papers to hold the developers in contempt of Judge Goliath’s interim interdict which prohibited the developers from continuing construction at the River Club pending the outcome of the High Court review of the authorisation decisions (Part B).   Yet, we still have no date in court, and Tim Dunn, the lawyer representing a group of individuals claiming to be the GKKITC without any legal basis, has simply avoided filing any responding papers. As a result, the matter is stalled.

But on the 23rd August, the South African Heritage Resources Agency notified us that their Gradings and Declarations Review Committee will be meeting on the 6th September at which they will consider the need to issue a provisional protection order over the River Club.  Heritage authorities have the power to issue such order if they believe there is an imminent threat to heritage and/or to the national estate.

It should not be lost on the public that SAHRA is busy with a process to grade the site as part of a national heritage site, yet the developers, who knew as far back as 2015 that they had a site of immense heritage importance, continue to flout efforts at heritage protection. If SAHRA issues a protection order over the site, this will mean the developers will be defying not only a court order, but also the legitimate mandate of the competent national heritage authority, should they continue construction.

We urge you to please donate to cover our legal costs by clicking here.  Without your support, we will not be able to see this case through to fruition. of the review. 

Visit our website and follow the Liesbeek Action Campaign on twitter: @LiesbeekAction. 

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