Heritage Western Cape rejects development at Oude Molen Eco Village
Save Our Sacred Lands has welcomed the ruling, saying it reinforces the importance of protecting heritage sites and ecological spaces.
Image: File/ Tracey Adams
Heritage Western Cape has rejected a Heritage Impact Assessment for the proposed development at Oude Molen Eco Village in Cape Town’s Two Rivers Urban Park, part of a Western Cape Government redevelopment proposal that initiated the statutory heritage approval process under the National Heritage Resources Act.
The ruling, issued on April 8, followed a meeting of the Impact Assessment Committee held on March 18.
The authority stated: “The application is not approved,” adding that “the development as proposed cannot be considered as the Heritage Impact Assessment does not meet the requirements of Section 38(3) of the NHRA.”
The ruling is subject to a 14-working-day appeal period.
Appeals must be submitted via the SAHRIS platform.
Civil society group, Save Our Sacred Lands, welcomed the decision.
In a statement, the group said: “Oude Molen Eco Village stands firm in defence of heritage, community, and ecological justice."
It praised residents and the broader allied community for their opposition to what it described as an "inappropriate mega-development proposed for the site".
“We extend a special note of appreciation to Heritage Western Cape, despite significant pressure which comes from such multi-billion rand proposals, for its decision to reject the flawed Heritage Impact Assessment," Save Our Sacred Lands added.
It said land at the confluence of the Liesbeek and Black Rivers holds historical significance linked to the San and Khoi peoples, warning that developments in such areas risk “perpetuating cultural erasure under the guise of progress".
Save Our Sacred Lands said Oude Molen Eco Village has “stood as a bulwark” in defending ecological balance and community-based resilience.
It added that the struggle over the Two Rivers Urban Park reflects “a broader national and global challenge to resist the commodification of land at the expense of people and planet".
''We recognise that for many San and Khoi descendants, as well as progressive communities committed to justice and restitution, this proposed development as well as other mega developments such as the Riverlands, which houses the Amazon Web Services Africa Headquarters, has been experienced as a profound affront – a blight that threatens to undermine hard-won efforts toward genuine recognition, restoration, and healing".
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