05 February 2024
*Durban*: Respectfully, it will be an abdication of our responsibility not to respond publicly to baseless and unfounded allegations leveled by Mr Brett Latimer, the CEO of Oxford Freshmarket against the department and our qualified environmentalists.
In the interest of transparency, the MEC Siboniso Duma will visit the proposed site for the Oxford Freshmarket in Amanzimtoti tomorrow morning at 07h30.
Unfortunately, Mr Latimer has conveniently not revealed to the public that he believes he is above the law.
In recent years, the flood prone Durban has been experiencing the destruction of socio-economic infrastructure and biodiversity.
On the other hand, Mr Latimer has flatly refused to take advice to comply with environmental laws designed to protect the environment and ensure that proposed project is authorized.
Despite his refusal to comply with the law, we have continuously engaged with Mr Latimer and his team, like any other developer to speed up the establishment of his business.
Contrary to his smear campaign, last year around June and July, the department granted approvals for the following:-
● The installation of the stormwater attenuation pond;
●The completion of the road widening adjacent to the Engen Garage and the strip along Moss Kolnick Drive;
●Flattening of the sand mound currently on site; and
●The implementation of the Rehabilitation Plan once it has been finalised and approved by the relevant authorities.
In addition, he has rejected the guidance of qualified environmentalists to engage the services of an independent Environmental Assessment Practitioner (EAP) to follow a Section 24G in terms of National Environmental Management Act of 1998 which allows for authorisation for the existing projects.
Tomorrow, the MEC will be onsite as part of efforts aimed at finding a long lasting solution to this matter for the benefit of local communities.
Finally, there are billions worth of infrastructure development projects that have gone through similar processes in the department. These have created jobs resulting in KwaZulu-Natal recording the largest employment for Quarter 3 according to Stats SA.
Therefore, Mr Latimer frivolous allegations have no merit but only peddled to create a perception of a state of paralysis.
#OurEconomyOurFuture
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