Hotel plans enrage villagers
Johannesburg - Tensions are running high on the Wild Coast over the planned construction of an R80-million hotel on communal land, Dispatch Online reported on Tuesday.
Police were called in on Thursday when a group of angry residents from Mthonjana village tried to stop the grading of land earmarked for a proposed hotel.
Coffee Bay police station commissioner Captain Nyameko Ngum said the situation was volatile, adding: "We intervened to ensure that the situation does not turn violent."
The land, overlooking the famous Hole-in-the-Wall tourist spot, is being used by the amaTshezi people.
It has on it two homesteads, two cultivated fields and four graves, considered sacred by some of the amaTshezi people.
On Monday, about 350 Mthonjana residents gathered near the kraal at one of the homesteads for a meeting with the developers, Incopho Projects Consortium.
The meeting was hastily convened by Chief Ngwenyathi Phali of the Tshezi Traditional Authority.
The developers allegedly did not consult the community, including those whose homes were affected, before they came to turn the first sod.
After several hours of heated discussions, it was agreed the development could go ahead, but only after the matter had been dealt with "in the traditional way".
"Six years ago one of the people who wanted to build this hotel made an offer to one of the elderly people here - now all of a sudden we saw them digging in our land," said Zweliyatshukuma Mgwali, 66.
"We welcome development but it has to come in a respectful manner because this land may never be returned to our community."
Incopho chief executive Mandisi Qaba blamed a "communication breakdown" and promised the matter would be sorted out with the community.
News source: www.news24.co.za
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