One of the best-known private nature reserves in the Western Cape is in the spotlight after clearing, allegedly illegally, more than 40ha of natural vegetation to make space for onion seed production.
But the owner of Matroosberg Private Nature Reserve, which is famous for its snow tourism, insists the cleared land is outside its conservation area.
Landowner Cordré Smith has applied for “rectification” of the illegal activity on the lowland area of his 1,260ha farm which extends to the summit of the second-highest mountain in the province, the Matroosberg. This after he was issued a directive by the provincial department of environmental affairs and development planning last year to stop clearing land.
It’s the third time the reserve landowners have been in trouble in recent years. In 2019 the provincial government launched an investigation into an illegal cellphone base station on the picturesque property, and it had to be removed. In 2021 the department launched a separate investigation into an illegal “parking lot” on a neighbour's property near the summit, used by 4x4 snow tourists.
The latest directive, which followed a site inspection in March last year, spells out the clearing infringement in some detail. “The clearing of vegetation appeared to have taken place between 2011 and 2018, with most clearing [taking] place between 2011 and 2013 and an area cleared in 2018,” the directive says.
Smith was instructed to halt agricultural production pending the outcome of the rectification process — known in the trade as a 24G application, which allows landowners to get belated approval for an illegal activity.
A public notice drawing attention to the intended rectification was issued earlier this year outlining Smith’s intention to farm three separate areas of cleared land.
“The cleared areas are intended for agricultural use,” the notice says. “To date, Area 1 has been used for onion seed production, rotated with grazing on a three-yearly basis while Area 2 and Area 3 have been sowed for grazing and baling.
“In future all cleared areas will form part of the rotation onion seed production with each land area receiving substantial ‘rest’ periods during which dryland grains will be cultivated.”
Responding to queries, Smith insisted the cleared land did not form part of the private nature reserve.
“This is at the foot of the mountains, next to current protea orchards and not part of the private nature reserve,” Smith said.
However, a botanical assessment finalised in June as part of the rectification process says the cultivated areas do fall within the protected area.
“The CapeNature Spatial Biodiversity Plan (2017) for the area shows that the entire property has protected area status, evidently because it is registered as a private nature reserve, in spite of large areas of cultivation and unmanaged alien invasive vegetation,” says the report compiled by Nick Helme Botanical Surveys.
The clearing included “a significant stretch within the river floodplain and seasonal wetland”, the assessment says.
Provincial environmental affairs and development planning department spokesperson Rudolf van Jaarsveldt said they were unable to comment on the latest directive as the matter was pending.
Only once the rectification process is complete will the department make a final decision regarding the future of the cleared land.
The rectification process coincides with an international collaboration to map the Greater Cape Floristic Region, considered one of the world's top biodiversity hotspots.
Two Nasa aircraft arrived in Cape Town last week and are scheduled to use hi-tech camera equipment to survey broad swathes of the province and the Eastern Cape.
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