Former Western Cape environment and development MEC David Malatsi once told a meeting that he was a black person, not a ”greenie”, and that his people did not eat fynbos, the regional court in George heard on Tuesday.
Alastair Grant, a former town planner with the Plettenberg Bay municipality, was testifying in the trial of Malatsi and ex-premier Peter Marais, who are accused of taking hundreds of thousands of rands in bribes to ensure provincial approval of the Roodefontein golf estate development outside the town.
Grant said he attended an informal meeting in the municipal council chamber in April 2002, where Malatsi addressed MPs, local councillors and municipal officials.
There was a lot of ”jovial comment” about green issues and development, and Malatsi made a point that he had recently overturned a decision by officials in his department.
Grant said it became clear to him then that Malatsi was a man interested in making things happen, and that things would be ”smoothed over and approved”.
”He did mention the importance of development and ensuring that people had jobs during that process it was very clear that he was in favour of development.”
The Plettenberg Bay council would have been delighted with that attitude, he said. ”They’re a very pro-development council.”
He said he recalled one ”very amusing” remark Malatsi made.
Introducing himself, and explaining his role as MEC, Malatsi had said people asked him if he was a greenie, then said: ”I tell them no, I’m a black. And I’m concerned about people in my community. We don’t eat fynbos.”
”The meeting loved it; it was a nice touch. It was well received,” said Grant.
There was also comment at the meeting that environmental impact assessments were an ”awful nuisance” and that officials were using them to slow down developments.
Grant said the development that had taken place in and around Plettenberg Bay had had a spinoff, and the town was booming.
”You do see the benefits; the town is humming, it’s really busy.”
Asked by prosecutor Bruce Morrison whether concern had been expressed in the council that the developments were aimed at the super-rich, and not at ”normal people like you and me”, Grant said he could not speak on behalf of the council.
He said however he had once advised the council to impose a levy on development to fund affordable housing. However this idea never caught on because councillors felt there were already a number of impositions on developers, and did not want to frighten them away.
”We are creating houses for the super-rich, especially in Plettenberg Bay,” he said.
He said he was not a member of any of the country clubs in the area, as he could not afford the fees. – Sapa