31 The Sanctuary, off Pollsmoor Road. Kirstenhof, 7945
Tel +27 (021) 7011397
Fax +27 (021) 7011399

Acting Regional Managern: Sharon Bosma
Acting Regional Chairman: Rudy Schats

Steve Du Toit
Tel: 044 874 7097
Fax: 044 874 6119
Fax to e-mail address: 088 044 874 6119
31 Progress Street, George, 6530
srdutoit@telkomsa.net

Lorraine McGibbon
Wildlife & Environment Society of South Africa, Western Cape (George office)
Incorporating Garden Route Environmental Education Network
Outeniqua Nature Reserve
Witfontein State Forest
GEORGE
6529
Tel/Fax 044-8707 038
wessasc@mweb.co.za

THE CAPE ENVIRONMENT NEWSLETTER

Download WESSA Western Cape's LATEST Cape Environment newsletter vol 1/08 (331kb)

WESSA Western Cape will be holding a number of informative and participatory workshops and talks in 2007. Please watch this space.

WESSA Western Cape AGM.
We'll entice you with an interesting speaker, special awards for 2007, snacks and our famous delicious glühwein. All welcome!

Date: Thursday 26 June 2008
Venue: Pinelands Town Hall (Enter Pinelands from Forest Dr. (M52). Turn left at robots (BP Garage on left) into St Stephens Rd. Directly after BP Garage turn left. Town Hall directly in front)
Time: 19:00 for 19:30
Speaker: To be confirmed
For more details or to RSVP for catering purposes, please contact Roshan ( roshan@wessa.co.za ) or 021 701 1397.

Court to decide if need to turn off sprinklers above caves is urgent

May 15, 2008 Edition 2
Fatima Schroeder – Cape Times

The Cape High Court has to decide whether an application by the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (Wessa) to stop irrigation of a newly-developed golf course in Mossel Bay should be heard urgently.

Wessa claims that excess water is damaging 28 archaeological sites, including 15 limestone caves, in the area.

But the developers, Pinnacle Point Resorts, say in papers that stopping irrigation would cause the grass on the golf course to die and affect the entire resort because the course was central to the development.

Investors would be unhappy, they said.

But Wessa says archaeological material in the caves is of great importance. It has affidavits from experts, who say some of the oldest material found in the area is rare and dates back 164 000 years.

The experts believe early modern humans migrated from Africa to populate the rest of the world and people who occupied the sites are the ancestors of the human race.

Also, the material near the golf course could contribute to studies on the origins of modern humans.

The experts say the caves need to be excavated to determine what's in them.

If further damage occurs, they may never be able to find out, they say in papers.

They also believe the material will assist studies in the change in climate and environment that could resolve questions around global warming.

Annemarie de Vos, SC, for Wessa, argued in court yesterday that homeowners might also be affected and could file a claim against the developers.

Pinnacle Point's lawyers have not yet started their argument. The case continues tomorrow.

fatima.schroeder@inl.co.za

Loss of cave site would be 'appalling', court hears

May 15, 2008 Edition 1
John Yeld – Cape Argus

Ancient archaeological material in caves below the Pinnacle Point golf estate at Mossel Bay is of "the greatest international importance" and it would be "appalling" to lose such a major site of international significance, the Cape High Court has heard.

These comments are contained in an affidavit by Professor Judith Sealy, head of the archaeology department at UCT, filed in support of an application by Wessa (Wildlife and Environment Society of SA) for an urgent interdict to force the golf estate development company, Pinnacle Point Resorts, to immediately stop irrigating two practice greens and 12 of the 18 holes on the course.

These parts of the golf course are on the cliff top directly above caves containing archaeological artefacts rated as some of the most significant records of human history.

Wessa says irrigation from the course is damaging and destroying these irreplaceable artefacts, but this is denied by the company.

The company is opposing the application.

Three affidavits from prominent local archaeologists, including Sealy, were submitted in support of Wessa when the urgent hearing resumed yesterday before Judge Anton Veldhuizen.

But counsel for the resort company, Gary Myburgh, SC, objected, saying he had not yet had a chance to study the affidavits and that he intended applying for them to be struck out.

In her affidavit, Sealy said one of the reasons why the caves were so important was that the study of ancient archaeological material was the only way to find out about the origins of modern humans.

"There are no written records and no libraries. The only place where the story of what it means to be human is recorded, is in sites like this and there are very few of them."

Evidence before court is that the Pinnacle Point development consists of several components, including 500 residential units - most of them sold - 300 hotel rooms and other facilities.

Properties changed hands at between about R600 000 and R6 million, and the total investment in the resort was more than R3 billion. The golf course cost some R150 million to develop.

Judge Veldhuizen said there was "little doubt" about the archaeological value of the caves and the damage being done by the water. But he had to weigh this against the potential losses of the homeowners.

The application will resume tomorrow.

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TO CONTACT THE BRANCH IN YOUR AREA:

Knysna Branch: Ian Withers (Chairperson)
Tel: 044 532 7732, Fax: 044 532 7763
P.O. Box 1204 , Knysna, 6570
kep@pixie.co.za

Plettenberg Bay: Gogfrey Bass (Chairperson)
Plettenberg Bay: Godfrey Bass
Tel/Fax: 044 533 3695
P.O.Box 254
George
6539
bassplet@mweb.co.za

Hottentots Holland Branch: Freya Brett (Chairperson)
Tel: 021 851 6951
mweec@telkomsa.net
Resource Centre: 852 8831

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