By Lebone Rodah Mosima
Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson has approved a plan to protect 235 hectares of environmentally sensitive state-owned land in the Eastern Cape, ending a decade-long dispute over its use while allowing a separate housing development process to proceed.
The decision, announced at Kouga Local Municipality on Friday, will see land at Ongegunde Vryheid, near Cape St Francis, earmarked for formal nature reserve protection, while a separate portion remains available for future human settlements.
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The dispute dates back to 2015, when Kouga Municipality approached the department about using the state-owned property.
Subsequent environmental assessments found that significant portions of the land were too environmentally sensitive for development.
“In October 2025, I directed that a definitive solution be found to resolve this matter,” Macpherson said.
“We could not allow a public asset of this significance to remain caught in an administrative impasse when a clear public interest could be served.”
He said the department reviewed the available options and developed a plan separating the conservation land from the area intended for future housing, removing an obstacle that had delayed a resolution.
“Following legal review and the necessary approvals, I granted final ministerial approval for this approach on 29 September 2026.”
National government will retain ownership of the conservation land rather than transfer it to the municipality, as previously contemplated.
The property is intended to receive formal protection under the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act.
The Kouga Local Municipality will serve as the management authority, working with the Friends of St Francis Nature Areas (FOSTER) through a formal co-management arrangement.
FOSTER is a conservation organisation involved in protecting and maintaining nature areas around Cape St Francis, including Seal Point, Seal Bay, Cape St Francis and Irma Booysen. Its work includes maintaining walking trails, clearing invasive vegetation and preserving biodiversity.
Macpherson said the land contains wetlands, coastal dune systems and sensitive vegetation, including St Francis Strandveld, which he said was critically endangered and endemic to the Eastern Cape.
“It contains sensitive ecosystems, wetlands, and vegetation that are essential to the area’s biodiversity.”
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He said the landscape was also home to threatened plant species, Cape grysbok, bushbuck, Cape clawless otters and numerous bird species, as well as archaeological sites dating back thousands of years.
The coastal dunes help maintain the natural movement of sand and the stability of nearby beaches, while wetlands regulate water flows.
Macpherson said preserving the land was consistent with the government’s responsibility to use public property in ways that provide long-term benefits rather than simply generating revenue or facilitating development.
“That does not mean every piece of government land should be developed.”
He said conservation could also support local tourism and nature-based economic activity, while protecting the environmental characteristics that make the area attractive.
The arrangement will impose no operational costs on the national department, although the municipality will be responsible for proclamation and ongoing conservation management expenses.
Additional funding is expected to come from conservation partnerships and other initiatives.
“This is an example of how government can resolve complex property matters without creating unnecessary costs for the taxpayer,” he said.
“The management of this landscape will require continued cooperation, responsible oversight, and the implementation of the protected area’s management plan,” he said.
