A 20-year wait for the promised land
Pastor Pieter Taaibosch still has faith after waiting 20 years for his promised corner of a billion-rand housing development on Longlands farm, outside Stellenbosch, where he has lived all his life.
But while the number of new upmarket homes has multiplied over the years, the only sign of the social housing promised by the developer is a mechanical digger eating up his front garden.
Taaibosch lives on the frontline of the latest winelands property tussle involving angry ratepayers, would-be housing beneficiaries and powerful developers.
The original planned Longlands Country Estate was completed years ago on what used to be a sprawling wine farm. It was approved subject to the retention of a large section of agricultural land that was subsequently subdivided for further development. The developers are now seeking further approval for a third phase called Longlands Manor.
The expanded footprint has prompted objections from a coalition of neighbours and ratepayers.
Chief among their concerns is that the development now significantly exceeds the original plan, to the detriment of the area’s character. In addition, the promised social housing has yet to appear.
Objectors now say the story of Longlands illustrates how spatial planning is slanted in favour of rich developers at the expense of social upliftment.
“The proposed development does not comply with several of the seven key principles in the recently approved municipal spatial development framework,” Stellenbosch Ratepayers Association chair Andre Pelser said in a letter to the municipality earlier this year.
“It also does not pass the test of sustainability — human wellbeing, long-term economic viability and environmental integriBy ty,” said Pelser.
The project involves one of the country’s most powerful developers, Werner Roux, who made headlines over a proposed billion-rand Garden Route lifestyle golf estate involving champion golfer Retief Goosen. A scaled-down proposal still awaits approval.
The Longlands Village development company, of which Roux is a director, gave R200,000 to the DA, according to a partyfunding list made public this month. But Stellenbosch municipality denied any suggestion of political bias in its planning tribunal.
“Allegations of political interference are unfounded and completely untrue,” said spokesperson Stuart Grobbelaar.
“No councillors may be appointed as an authorised official or serve on the municipal planning tribunal to decide on land use and land development applications. All processes are followed in terms of planning and environmental legislation.”
The developers say they have followed due process and are moving ahead with the social housing plan.
“Our company, after having acquired the Longlands land, has followed due process in seeking amendments to existing approvals, as well as in applying for a new development approval for part of the Longlands land,” said Longlands Village director David Ludditt.
“The current civil works being carried out on the Longlands land relate to the establishment of a low-cost housing agri-village of 144 erven and 70 residential erven.”
Taaibosch said he believed the years of waiting would soon be over, although new houses would come too late for his son, who died 11 years ago in a car accident.
“He was looking forward to having his own house. My other son is too,” Taaibosch said. He can see lots of building, just not for him: “We see something happening,” said the hopeful pastor, pointing to the digger. “There is a positive attitude amongst the people, like there was in the past.”