Workers in Cape Town, South Africa, are trying to stop the construction of an African capital on the Amazon. This is a battle against materialism, according to Vumani Mkhize of the BBC.
It is the hottest day in Cape Town and the magnificent views of the majestic Mountain are shrouded in a cloud that cascades down the lush green rocks.
At the bottom of this history, a small group of freedom fighters from the Khoi and San areas gathered near the entrance of the main building of the River Club.
These regions are known to be among the first settlers in southern Africa.
Dressed in animal skins, human rights activists burn the sages and ask their parents to wash and protect them.
They sing in an ancient language as the smoke of the wise fills the air.
Overcoming rhetoric and cleansing in war-torn countries.
Across the street from where the protesters had gathered, construction began. They watch as little trucks loaded with dirt come in and out of nowhere, while bulldozers and diggers dig in the ground.
The first phase of the $ 300m (£ 215m) development, which will include Amazon offices, is expected to be completed in two years. However, Khoi and San are determined to stop.
Tauriq Jenkins, of the Goringhaicona Khoena Council, a Khoi faction, says the site has a rich history and rich heritage for its people.
“Our place is sacred because it is on the border between Liesbeek and Black Rivers. [Khoi] people, “he told the BBC.
That was when European settlers had their first war with South Africans, marked by a blue sign.
The size of 150,000 sqm will include residential houses and shops and offices.
The Amazon site, which is seen as a key factor in attracting other companies, is about to take over half of the site, where it will run its operations across Africa.
The main seller referred questions to the developer, Liesbeek Leisure Properties Trust.
Work, work, work
Jody Aufrichtig, who is leading the project, says the project will give Cape Town more tourism-based resources, which has been hit hard by the coronavirus epidemic.
He said it would create 6,000 jobs in the construction industry and about 13,000 other unrelated projects.
“It is very important, especially after Covid and the other conflicts and problems we have experienced in South Africa.
“It will give the people of Cape Town and South Africa hope and economic development.”
The struggle between the developer and the citizens of Cape Town comes amid the huge unemployment crisis that South Africa has faced.
Its unemployment rate of more than 34% is the worst among the 82 countries controlled by the media agency Bloomberg.
Last year, the economy shrunk by 7% unprecedented, and even though it has resumed, jobs are in short supply.
This is where economist Ivan Turok says the work should continue, adding that it looks like a credible vote for the country.
“It will help to encourage other foreign investors in this country because this place is stable, has good skills and is a place for the future,” he said.
While the benefits of the project may be compelling, for local people the issue is much bigger.
The development page is when the first war between the indigenous peoples and the Dutch colonists took place in 1659.
“This is exactly where the land was first stolen in South Africa,” Jenkins said.
The confiscation of the Khoi and San lands led to the confiscation of land for hundreds of years across the country. The issue of owning a place, or lack thereof, remains a major issue.
Twenty-seven years after the end of apartheid, which allowed for racism, many secret places in South Africa are still white.
Land redistribution has moved slowly and inequality remains widespread.
Mr Jenkins and members of the Khoi and San tribes were not affected by the idea that the new development would bring more important jobs.
“The reason the project is so expensive is because it is flooded.
“If Amazon and the developer take the money and make the same development in the floodplain, you can get three or four times the size, which means you can use more people.”
But not all Khoi and San oppose the project.
‘Release Place’
The First Nations Collective has lost its mission.
In honor of the Khoi and San heritage, the developer plans to build a media house, a garden and a stadium. The roads on this page will also be listed by local authorities.
This will create a “liberating environment in which we can take part in the fight to identify, rehabilitate and repatriate the first people in South Africa,” First Nations Collective spokeswoman Zenzile Khoisan told local radio.
The Western Cape government is also a major supporter of the project after it was enlightened in April 2021. It is sponsored by the city’s mayor.
In his remarks, Mayor Dan Plato acknowledged that there are legal issues that need to be addressed.
But he added that “it is clear that the project offers many economic, cultural and environmental benefits to the region”.
For the Jenkins and their opponents in the campaign, the war is not over.
Amazon says it will not make history in the US, such as the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC. “Then why would he do this in our appearance?” He asks.
He said his group had collected no more than 50,000 documents from members of the community opposed to the development.
Goringhaicona Khoena District Council is also involved in another case in the Cape Town High Court seeking to reconsider the city’s decision to approve the project. He also filed documents forbidding construction work on the River Club site.
A court date has not been set, however, both sides are set to strike a lengthy lawsuit that could have far-reaching effects on Cape Town’s economy and economy.
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