Sani Pass to be tarred

[Flutterby]

Sani Pass to be tarred

2014-05-21 19:53

Durban - The tarring of Sani Pass has been approved by Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa, the KwaZulu-Natal transport department announced on Wednesday.

The road, famed for being a gruelling 4x4 vehicle drive, links Underberg with Mokhotlong.

KwaZulu-Natal transport MEC Willies Mchunu said that the tarring of the road would improve trade relations between South Africa and Lesotho.

"As well, seamless and legal movement of people between the two countries will help strengthen our economic ties, grow shared opportunities and ensure sustainable and mutually beneficial development for both countries," said Mchunu.

The announcement that the road would be tarred follows a lengthy opposition campaign from tour operators and community members in the Underberg area.

Environmental groups were also at loggerheads over the benefit of having the road tarred.

The Wildlife and Environmental Society of South Africa was one of the groups opposed while the Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife were in favour of the project.

"From an environmental perspective, it makes economic sense to upgrade the road from gravel to tar as gravel roads require regular maintenance every two years. Furthermore, retaining the road in its gravel state will actually negatively impact the surrounding environment," said Mchunu.

Top gravel

Russel Suchet, a tour operator, said: "We are extremely disappointed."

He had been a part of a concerted effort to keep the top portion of the pass gravel.

He said that the appeal of the pass was its gravel status.

Initially when the tarring of the pass had been mooted many locals opposed the proposal.

The department of environmental affairs approved the upgrading of the road as long as the final 5km stretch up the pass to the border post remained gravel.

Mchunu said that the total cost of upgrading the 19km from Old Good Hope Trading Post to the summit of the Sani Pass at the border post would cost R887m.

- SAPA

[Toko]

This is an ongoing dispute and I wonder what has changed. On July 2, DEA had approved an upgrade, which was described as upgrade of storm water drainage, building anti erosion walls and not tarring, but re-gravelling the road.

Download authorisation

[Toko]

Interesting bit of how this went ahead.

Final EIA

From the assessment and extensive Public Participation Process (PPP), two preferred alternatives were selected:

• Alternative 5 (the proponent’s and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife’s preferred alternative)
Improves geometrics, upgrades drainage, constructs bridges and retaining walls, and hard surfaces the Sani Pass Road from km 14 to km 33. From km 14 to km 25 (the border post) would be asphalt surfaced, while km 26 to km 33 would be concrete.

• Alternative 3 (the 4x4 tour operators’ and several interest groups’ preferred alternative)
Improves geometrics, upgrades drainage, retains splash-throughs, constructs retaining walls and re-gravels the Sani Pass Road.

DEA issued the authorization of Alternative 3

Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife logged an appeal
APPEAL AGAINST THE ENVIRONMENTAL AUTHORISATION FOR THE SANI PASS PHASE 2 EIA: DEAT/EIA/2699/2008, DEA Ref 12/12/20/1184, DATED 2ND JULY 2013

Why has DEA reconsidered?

[Flutterby]

So they can waste more money!!

[Richprins]

Mchunu said that the total cost of upgrading the 19km from Old Good Hope Trading Post to the summit of the Sani Pass at the border post would cost R887m.


That is ridiculous. Something strange going on in that area, including the stupid cableway.

Ezimvelo moans about getting local gravel, for example, to fix the road every two years. For a millifraction of that price gravel can be imported from Greenland!

If it is to be a "port of entry"...then why agree to leave a part gravel anyway?

Trucks will not try even a tar road regularly there, and SA does not have a good record regarding maintaining provincial tarred roads at all!

Some silly tender/work-creation scheme..

[Toko]

WESSA's RESPONSE TO APPEAL

WESSA'S argumentation sounds very convincing to me

[Bushcraft]

Silly tender work and who scores RP Sad

[Richprins]

Perfect response!

This project is being implemented by a Chinese Contracting company with no regard to either Environmental or Social impacts.

Here endeth the lesson.

[Richprins]

The Chinese thing is on the Lesotho side...so we must jump!

[Flutterby]

So it's just another corrupt money making scheme!!