The DA in Limpopo will request the MEC for Economic Development, Environment and Tourism (LEDET), Matibe Tshitereke, to scrutinise the application for the proposed filling station in Magoebaskloof to ensure compliance of all legislative compliance and documentation integrity before a holistic consideration of the project.
The proposed project, a filling station at the intersection of the Houtbosdorp Road and the R71 in Magoebaskloof has several complexities which the DA will investigate including:
- The proposed site is currently zoned for agricultural use
- The site is located within a Strategic Water Source Area (SWSA) and propose to utilise 120 000 litres of water from an irrigation canal, obtaining water from the Helpmekaar River- an existing allocation
- The area is home to the Cape Parrot, South Africa’s only endemic parrot and the Narina Trogons
- Increased heavy traffic in this pass prone to heavy mist, including heavy vehicles, will exacerbate motor vehicle accidents on an already accident prone stretch of road
- SANRAL closed an existing filling station at the bottom of the kloof under the guise of road safety, but approved this filling station, on a blind height in the middle of a mist belt
- Tourism in the area is reliant on the tranquil atmosphere, unspoiled landscapes and authentic country charm, which will be spoilt by a 24-hour filling station at the top of the Magoebaskloof pass.
Limpopo has long been a preferred destination for eco-tourism in Southern Africa. The DA will therefore engage the portfolio committee on LEDET on our proposed legislation to safeguard areas of significant heritage, cultural and bio-diversity in Limpopo against harmful development.