Heritage Western Cape has rejected a Heritage Impact Assessment linked to a proposed development at Oude Molen Eco Village in Cape Town’s Two Rivers Urban Park.
The assessment forms part of a Western Cape Government proposal to redevelop the Oude Molen precinct, which triggered the statutory heritage approval process under the National Heritage Resources Act.
The decision, issued on 8 April 2026, follows a meeting of the Impact Assessment Committee held on 18 March 2026.
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 and must set out the grounds for appeal in accordance with the requirements of the Act.
A civil society group, Save Our Sacred Lands, has welcomed the decision.
In a statement, the group said: “Oude Molen Eco Village stands firm in defence of heritage, community, and ecological justice,” and praised residents and the broader allied community for their opposition to what it described as an inappropriate mega-development proposed for the site.
It said the village has emerged as “a living example of what a post-apartheid South African community can and must be: diverse, inclusive, and deeply rooted in shared responsibility.”
Save Our Sacred Lands added that it reflects “a powerful social fabric woven across cultures, histories, and lived experiences, united not only in coexistence, but in active stewardship of land, memory, and future generations.”
Save Our Sacred Lands also welcomed the decision by Heritage Western Cape, saying: “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.”
The organisation said the ruling affirmed “the critical importance of due process, integrity in heritage management, and the safeguarding of sites that carry deep historical and cultural significance.”
It added that institutions, “when guided by principle, can still serve the people and protect the truth of our past.”
The group further said the proposed development represents “not merely a planning misstep, but a continuation of extractive and exclusionary logics that have long undermined ecological sustainability and cultural dignity.”
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.”
It said Oude Molen Eco Village demonstrates “what is possible when communities act with clarity, solidarity, and courage.”
It also called on South Africans “to protect our shared heritage, to resist unsustainable exploitation, and to build a future grounded in dignity, equity, and respect for the land and its first peoples.”
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Hope Ntanzi
iol.co.za