CRAG’s Current Mission

CHAPMAN’S PEAK BUILDING PROTEST

CRAG is currently opposing the ugly, unecessary office block that the Toll Company, (owned by Murray & Roberts) and DA Govt want to construct, along with a new bigger Toll Plaza, on Chapman’s Peak Drive. This area is both National Park land and a Unesco World Heritage site.

An Honours student documentary about the controversial Chapmans Peak toll plaza and office block development, and the protest action against it that has taken place to try to halt construction on this World Heritage site.


The overly large toll plaza and office block will cost R52 million – most of which must be paid by taxpayers!

Although more efficient, cheaper, environmentally friendly and unobtrusive suggestions have been presented- the shareholders are holding government to the shady contract signed by the ANC 9 years ago. Crag believes it can be nullified due to flaws in the contract.

CRAG also believes there is absolutely no need to have the administrative and maintenance offices on the road. The environmental Impact Assessors also advised against it (and were also ignored). Computerised pay systems with prepaid cards can be easily be implemented with a simple stone structure that blends into the environment. Both of these solutions would well cost under R5 million.

The Protest

  • In Jan 2012, over 2300 people marched to the building site in protest,  a memorandum was handed to the DA councillor for the attention of Helen Zille.
  • Bronwen Lankers-Byrne, organiser of the protest march,  went on a hunger strike for 15 days before joining Fiona Hinds inside the building enclosure handcuffed to the pillar scaffolding to prevent building from going ahead. Building was temporarily halted until a court interdict to remove them was obtained . read more
  • On Feb 17th, a meeting was held with CRAG, the DA Councillor Robin Carlisle and the contractors who agreed to “look into the alternatives suggested”. However, they announced in the press the following day that building of the massive toll plaza will go ahead on Monday 20th.
  • A barrage of press coverage in February 2012 supported the opposition to the  two story building and four lane concrete toll plaza monstrosity. (see Latest News)
  • A court interdict was sought by the Hout Bay Ratepayers Association which was dismissed with costs
  • Cheaper Electronic-tolling options have been presented to the PGWC by CRAG but so far are not being explored.

Robin Carlisle and Helen Zille have entirely ignored public opinion against the development and insist construction is going ahead

CRAG, along with the Hout Bay Rate Payers Association, the Protect Chapman’s Peak Movement, and the Greater Cape Town Civic Alliance is calling for:

  1. A halt to construction;
  2. The introduction of electronic tolling;
  3. The construction of minimal, removable electronic toll support structures
  4. The removal of the present toll booms and containers
  5. Free access to picnic sites & hiking trails to remain in perpetuity.

Please add your support of this  protest in any way you can

  1. Sign the online Petition
  2. Use twitter to send Helen Zille a message: @helenzille
  3. “Like” the Facebook Page and invite friends  to help build a legion of support online
  4. Make a donation towards the legal costs of taking the matter to High Court: A team of highly experienced legal specialists researching the legality of the development have assured the Resident’s Association of Hout Bay that there is a good case for stopping construction.  Read more
  5. Call this number – the office of Robin Carlisle 021 483 2430 to voice your objection to the government decision to grant the toll company the rights to go-ahead and build when cheaper, more efficient, electronic ticketing options requiring no plaza or office block are possible. Ask them to please justify why they are ignoring public opinion, and better alternatives..

Comments are closed.