The applications to the various authorities for a new service station at the entrance to Kenton continue. In spite of vociferous objections from numerous interested and affected parties (with regard to the application for Environmental Approval, there were more than 280 objectors), mysteriously, all the objections have been ignored. Approvals have been granted by the Department of Energy, the Department of Environmental Affairs, Ndlambe Municipality and SANRAL.
The Environmental Approval was originally granted in December 2015, extended for 2 years in 2017 and has now again been extended for a further two years. Both the 2017 extension and the most recent one were granted without affording any of the more than 280 objectors an opportunity to participate or object.
But wait, there’s more…………… Kenton on Sea Ratepayers Association (KOSRA) learned that the most probably unlawful extension granted in December 2017 had expired in December 2019. In order to make sure of this, we wrote 5 e-mails to the relevant official, one Dayalan Govender, the Deputy Director: Environmental Affairs for the Sarah Baartman/Nelson Mandela Bay Region. These e-mails were written between February and the end of June 2020 and they were all ignored. In the meantime, the same Govender purported to grant a further 2 years extension of the Environmental Authorisation on 24 July 2020 – when it was long dead and expired. Not only did he again ignore the rights of the 280+ objectors, but, in spite of our 5 e-mails, and knowing full well of our concern, failed to let us know what he was doing behind the scenes.
Needless to say, KOSRA has lodged an appeal against the further extension. We also believe that this type of behavior by a senior government official is unacceptable and we are instigating disciplinary proceedings against him.
If you are not one of the 280+ registered Interested and/or Affected Parties who originally objected to this Fuel Station but have a strong opinion about it, please communicate your views to KOSRA at news@kentonratepayers.co.za.
Click to read previous articles from this topic:
Perhaps said Govender should be added to the list for investigations surrounding corruption?
Well done on all this! Can any Govt or Municipal Dept simply ignore questions like this. If so it suggests that our latest appeal will also be ignored. Do we then have any other recourse such as Minister/s involved?
The lack of official accountability and transparency, not to mention the lack of respect for due process, is sadly the new normal in our country today.
We have a fight on our hands to begin to re-establish respect for the rule of law in the increasingly lawless environment we all inhabit.
One can only wonder at what has been going on behind the scenes with this story!
All power to our dedicated Ratepayers Association for taking up the cudgels on our behalf.
Why are there objections?
1) Objections a retrograde step, the existing garage lacks so many attributes to give proper service to holidaymakers during the holiday season as well as for residents
2) A life-saving benefit of crossroads would be saved by a roundabout
3) Creates jobs
4) Properties increase in value
5) More competition betters Economy especially for small businesses
6) Put Kenton on Sea on the map
7) The objections read are baseless
Please stop it – we don’t need a service station at the entrance to Kenton.
It’s dangerous, unsightly and a blight on the entrance to our village.
Thanks for all the hard work, everyone. This is a real nasty case! I don’t profess to have any further knowledge than you all have, and you have probably also considered this, but is this a case that can be brought to the door of the Public Protector? Possibly the DA can expose the obvious flouting of the laws and probable corruption.
What happened to the proposed petrol station near the Pigeon Club?
Once again the readers of the article above by KOSRA are being manipulated with twisted information, allegations and insinuations to create an impression with the readers that the approval processes obtained by the development are or has been corrupted, or are being driven by strange forces.
KOSRA choses very cleverly their words to create the perception of wrongdoing, for example they say in the article above “. . .most probably unlawful extension granted in December 2017 . . “. It means that they are not sure really if it was “unlawful” the extension, but inserting the word “unlawful” created twisted public perception of corruption activity to suit their point of view.
The fact is that due process was followed, objections were dismissed by the different Departments as baseless or irrelevant to the application being considered, and nobody from the development side, to my knowledge, has influenced the decision by any of the Departments.
By the way, Janet Burr is 100% correct in the comments above.
Mr Gamaleri has told us that he is both the architect for, and a shareholder of, Seriso 616 (Pty)Ltd, the company seeking to establish the new garage.
A look at our Grounds of Appeal (click here to view) will show that his bald sweeping statements are clearly untrue and fail to address any of the grounds of our appeal. We stand by our views. As KOSRA, we will continue to express ourselves clearly and openly in response to issues that affect Kenton-on-Sea and its environs. Mr Gamaleri’s proposed development is clearly contrary to the best interests of Kenton-on-Sea and our challenge to the procedure that has been applied remains a matter to be decided by the Appeal Tribunal.