Amazon and City of Cape Town secure legal win against OCA

The City of Cape Town has agreed to a settlement offer from the Observatory Civil Association (OCA) to fully end all legal proceedings regarding the River Club development issue. As part of the settlement, the OCA will provide a financial contribution towards the City's legal expenses.

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The development, which is expected to house Amazon's new African headquarters, was opposed by the OCA and Tauriq Jenkins who claimed that the site chosen for the project was of great historical value to First Nations people.

“The city is pleased with this outcome and the clear message it conveys - that the city will always vigorously defend planning decisions taken correctly, and will act to protect Cape Town’s reputation as a leading global investment destination," said Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis.

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On Tuesday, the Supreme Court of Appeal denied the Observatory Civil Association (OCA) permission to appeal the Western Cape High Court’s order, dismissing the OCA’s application to interdict the River Club development. According to the city, the development will now proceed based on the conditions of its planning approval, along with the major economic, environmental and heritage benefits for Cape Town and its residents.

According to the city these are the benefits of the River Club development:

Rehabilitating a portion of the Liesbeek River
Creating high-quality green open space
Establishing heritage infrastructure in partnership with First Nations groups
Creating more than 5,200 construction jobs and approximately 19,000 employment opportunities
Establishing public transport infrastructure
Injecting R4.5bn of direct investment into the local economy; and
Delivering new residential accommodation, including affordable housing