A hotel and property development at the affluent KwaZulu-Natal beach resort of Zinkwazi has been stopped after it cut through an indigenous forest.

The R250-million project by Spanish based Ocean Estates International ground to a halt last week after the KwaDukuza Municipality and a local family lodged complaints that it was destroying the Oyster Park coastal forest and compromising local properties.

The company's contractor illegally bulldozed through the forest, which is zoned as a public space belonging to KwaDukuza Municipality.

Nathi Mthembu, the municipal manager, said the company had destroyed a lot of indigenous vegetation, home to protected species. Ocean Estates had broken its promise to maintain the public space next to the council property.

"We view it in a serious manner. It's entirely irresponsible."

Mthembu said the council would appoint an environmentalist, at the developer's cost, to rehabilitate the vegetation and dunes.

Last week, the Mealin family successfully applied to the Pietermaritzburg High Court to stop further building until environmental and municipal reviews had been done.

Norman Brauteseth, an environmental-law specialist, said his clients had argued that the hotel and flats would block their views of the coastal bush and the sea and have an impact on property prices in the area.

"All building has ceased and the reviews are now in progress," said Brauteseth. "If successful, the developer may have to substantially modify its plans and demolish what has been built of phase two."

Ocean Estates spokesman Rigby Heenan said it would hold the contractor responsible for the damage to the forest as it had not followed agreed procedures. "As the developers, we apologise for the incident," he said.
 
Sunday Times
Publisher: I-Net Bridge
Source: I-Net Bridge