{"id":263412,"date":"2025-06-05T13:24:01","date_gmt":"2025-06-05T11:24:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/eikestadnuus\/?p=263412"},"modified":"2025-06-05T13:24:04","modified_gmt":"2025-06-05T11:24:04","slug":"mening-wie-se-stellenbosch-n-herbesinning-oor-botmaskop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/eikestadnuus\/mening-wie-se-stellenbosch-n-herbesinning-oor-botmaskop\/","title":{"rendered":"MENING: \u201cWie se Stellenbosch? ‘n Herbesinning oor Botmaskop\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In ‘n onlangse brief bied prof. Johan Fourie ‘n vurige verdediging van die luukse landgoedontwikkeling op Botmaskop in Stellenbosch (“Botmaskop: Houding grief”, Eikestadnuus<\/em>, 24\u2009April).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hy begin met ‘n persoonlike staaltjie oor sy seun wat gefassineer is deur die masjiene wat elke oggend die berghelling vervorm. Gelukkig vir ons word besluite oor belangrike sake gewoonlik nie aan kinders oorgelaat nie.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

‘n Mens verstaan die invalshoek: Konstruksievoertuie is inderdaad opwindend vir kleuters. Maar agter die sentimentaliteit l\u00ea ‘n dieper vraag: Watter soort plek bou ons, en vir wie?\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fourie voer aan dat teenkanting teen die ontwikkeling gedryf word deur “elitisme”, wantroue en verkeerde inligting. Maar dit stel die feite van die saak \u00e9n die motiewe van diegene wat die projek teenstaan, verkeerd voor. Dit sluit in organisasies soos die Stellenbosse Belastingbetalersvereniging (SBV), die Stellenbosch-belangegroep (SBG) en ‘n lys van meer as 3\u2009000 inwoners \u2013 almal burgerlike organisasies en individue wat strewe na verantwoordelike ontwikkeling en die bewaring van die unieke natuurlike en kulturele erfenis van Stellenbosch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Laat ons by die feite begin. Hierdie organisasies is nie teen groei nie. Inteendeel, hulle het die oorspronklike ontwikkelingsvoorstel vir ‘n eko-oord vir die terrein ondersteun. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Waaroor die beswaar nou handel, is die aard van die groei wat Stellenbosch na-streef en of daardie groei die eienskappe wat die dorp so ‘n uiters gewilde woonplek maak, sal ondersteun of vernietig. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As elke heuwel in die omgewing opgedeel word vir omheinde gemeenskappe slegs vir die superrykes, sal Stellenbosch verander in ‘n plek van eksklusiwiteit en ekologiese agteruitgang \u2013 ‘n dorp wat sy natuurlike skoonheid een stuk grond op ‘n slag verkoop totdat niks oorbly van die plek wat soveel van ons lief het nie.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Die huidige ontwikkeling op Botmaskop is presies die soort projek wat die gevaar inhou om Stellenbosch in ‘n speelgrond vir die rykes te verander \u2013 ten koste van die bre\u00ebr openbare belang. Dit beperk toegang tot die berg, fragmenteer ekostelsels en versnel ‘n gevaarlike tendens waar openbare waarde vir private wins geprivatiseer word.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fourie se bewering dat die ontwikkeling tot omgewingsherstel sal lei, is misleidend. Indringerspesies op die terrein kan en behoort verwyder te word en die proses is al vir jare aan die gang, grootliks gedryf deur individue wat op hul eie inisiatief en hul eie hulpbronne werk. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hy bevraagteken ook die regsbasis van die interdik wat die konstruksie gestop het en stel voor dat dit onwaarskynlik is dat soveel “hoogs ervare professionele mense”, wat by die beplanning en goedkeuringsproses betrokke was, sulke ernstige foute kon begaan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maar d\u00edt is presies wat ‘n regter bevind het \u2013 dat daar voldoende rede is om die proses te stop, op grond van prosedurele en omgewingskwessies. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stel Fourie voor dat ‘n ekonomiese historikus meer geskik is om die meriete van die saak te beoordeel as ‘n regter wat maande lank die besonderhede nagegaan het? Ironies genoeg misgis Fourie hom met die belangrike feite in sy stuk \u2013 veral sy bewering dat die huidige landgoed dieselfde voetspoor het as die aanvanklike eko-oord wat vroe\u00ebr goedgekeur is (en wat die SBV, SBG en ander nie te\u00ebgestaan het nie, maar eerder aktief ondersteun het).\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Die Staytus-landgoed wat nou onder bespreking is, het ‘n veel groter ekologiese impak \u2013 ‘n uitgebreide netwerk paaie, keerwalle, infrastruktuur en residensi\u00eble eenhede. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As selfs ‘n universiteitsprofessor \u2013 met toegang tot inligting en ‘n platform in die media \u2013 hom met sulke basiese feite kan misgis, dan is dit allermins onwaarskynlik dat foute, versuime of selfs wanvoorstellings tydens die goedkeuringsproses kon plaasgevind het.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dis juis waarom ons howe het \u2013 om regstellende meganismes te bied wanneer administratiewe prosesse faal. Soos baie van ons besef, speel die howe ‘n noodsaaklike rol in die beskerming van ons regte en vryhede \u2013 veral teen magtige organisasies en individue.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Miskien is die mees ontstellende aspek van Fourie se brief die manier waarop hy teenkanting voorhou as irrasioneel of elitisties. Hy beskryf SBG as ‘n “onverkose” groep \u2013 asof net verkose amptenare die reg het om besorgdheid uit te spreek \u2013 terwyl hy ignoreer dat ontwikkelaars, beleggers en beplanners self op geen manier demokraties aanspreeklik is nie.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In werklikheid bestaan die SBG en die SBV uit bekommerde inwoners wat diep toegewyd is aan die dorp se langtermyn- welstand. Dis mense wat sonder beloning hul kennis, tyd en dikwels ook geld \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

gebruik met die wete dat hul werk help om die dorp vir ons kinders te bewaar. Kan dieselfde van enige van die teenpartye ges\u00ea word?\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

En hier is nog ‘n ironie: Die Botmaskop-ontwikkeling word teengestaan vir kinders soos Fourie se seun, sodat hy eendag wanneer hy nie meer bulldozer-bevange is nie, in die berge kan gaan stap en sampioene pluk, of soos ‘n maniak teen die steilste hellings op ‘n bergfiets kan afjaag asof m\u00f4re nie bestaan nie, of dalk met sy eie gesin daar kan gaan piekniek hou en weet dat daar ‘n kans is om ‘n klipspringer te sien. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dalk sal sy klong dan dankbaar wees dat nie elke bergkruin gelykgestoot is vir ‘n villa met ‘n uitsig nie; omdat daar mense was wat ges\u00ea het \u2013 genoeg is genoeg.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Laastens, laat ons nie groot geld verwar met die openbare belang nie \u2013 R770\u2009miljoen kan sement, mure en versorgde grasperke koop, maar nie legitimiteit of vertroue nie. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dit maak nie saak hoe blink die bemarkingsbrosjure of hoe hoog die eiendomsbelasting is nie \u2013 luukse-ontwikkelings vir die superrykes is nie ‘n plaasvervanger vir verantwoordelike beplanning nie. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wanneer ons ons natuurlike erfenis laat platslaan vir private wins, of ‘n gedeelde landskap in ‘n omheinde eklave omskep, verloor ons meer as net plante en fietsroetes. Ons verloor iets wesenliks \u2013 die siel van die dorp, die gemeenskaplike nalatenskap van sy mense en die reg van toekomstige geslagte om hulself in die berge te bevind \u2013 nie afgesluit deur omheinings van luukse landgoedere nie.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hierdie debat gaan nie oor die staak van alle ontwikkeling nie, maar om beter ontwikkeling te eis wat al die dorp se mense dien \u2013 nie net die rykes nie \u2013 en deur mense wat erken dat sommige plekke te kosbaar is om ooit te verkoop, maak nie saak wat (of hoe hoog) die prys is nie.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Johan Slabber, Stellenbosch<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In ‘n onlangse brief bied prof. Johan Fourie ‘n vurige verdediging van die luukse landgoedontwikkeling op Botmaskop in Stellenbosch (“Botmaskop: Houding grief”, Eikestadnuus, 24\u2009April). Hy begin met ‘n persoonlike staaltjie 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se Stellenbosch? 'n Herbesinning oor Botmaskop","hide_border":"","icon":"","is_wp_suggestion":"","issuu_download_url":"","issuu_embed_url":"","language_version_url":"","large_border":"","name":"","nm_contact_name":"","nm_contact_number":"","nm_date_lost":"","no_overlay_background":"","node-url":"","obituary_born_date":"","obituary_died_date":"","obituary_memoriam_text":"","origin":"","overlay_color":"","overlay_opacity":"","overlay_size":"","placement":"","plural_label":"","post_author":"","post_id":"","post_language":"en","secret-key":"","sponsored_utm_campaign":"","sponsored_utm_content":"","sponsored_utm_medium":"","sponsored_utm_source":"","sponsored_utm_term":"","start_date":"","utm_suppression":"","video_embed_url":"","wp_pattern_sync_status":"","data_version":[],"enclosure":[],"pongrass_image":[],"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_content_restriction_is_exempt":false,"scaip_prevent_shortcode_addition":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[7902,24],"tags":[7874,7878,7992,91],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"publication":[],"class_list":["post-263412","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","category-opinion","tag-local-news","tag-municipal","tag-stellenbosch","tag-top"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/eikestadnuus\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/IMG_9855.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":264597,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/eikestadnuus\/lesersbrief-om-skuus-te-se\/","url_meta":{"origin":263412,"position":0},"title":"LESERSBRIEF: Om ‘skuus te s\u00ea","author":"Eikestadnuus","date":"4 July 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Menings van Eikestadnuus-lesers.","rel":"","context":"In "Opinion"","block_context":{"text":"Opinion","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/eikestadnuus\/opinion\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"AI generated image of someone typing on a laptop.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/eikestadnuus\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/letter-writer.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/eikestadnuus\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/letter-writer.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/eikestadnuus\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/letter-writer.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/eikestadnuus\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/letter-writer.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/eikestadnuus\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/letter-writer.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":76519,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/eikestadnuus\/lesersbrief-botmaskop-houding-grief\/","url_meta":{"origin":263412,"position":1},"title":"LESERSBRIEF: Botmaskop – Houding grief","author":"Eikestadnuus","date":"25 April 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Die debat rondom die Botmaskopontwikkeling in Stellenbosch het gelei tot 'n verskeidenheid menings, wanvoorstellings en nuwe verdeeldhede. 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Kom ons spaar dan maar die eerste klap na die taalversorger van die publikasie \u2013 die produk wat deur GoNow aangebied word tot die oorweldigende voordeel\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Opinion"","block_context":{"text":"Opinion","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/eikestadnuus\/opinion\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":267712,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/eikestadnuus\/brief-ja-vir-behuising-wat-van-groter-probleem\/","url_meta":{"origin":263412,"position":3},"title":"Brief | ‘Ja vir behuising, maar wat van groter probleem?’","author":"Eikestadnuus","date":"2 October 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"\"Ek is baie be\u00efndruk met die Stellenbosch-munisipaliteit se beleid dat van die nuwe behuising 20% \"bekostigbare\" behuising moet wees.\"","rel":"","context":"In "Opinion"","block_context":{"text":"Opinion","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/eikestadnuus\/opinion\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":267711,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/eikestadnuus\/brief-wat-se-ander-oor-us-se-hamlets\/","url_meta":{"origin":263412,"position":4},"title":"Brief | Wat s\u00ea ander oor US se ‘Hamlets’?","author":"Eikestadnuus","date":"2 October 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"\"Ek wil graag my mening gee oor die Universiteit Stellenbosch (US) se dramadepartement, wat onlangs 'n opvoering by die Adam Small-teater aangebied het.\"","rel":"","context":"In "Opinion"","block_context":{"text":"Opinion","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/eikestadnuus\/opinion\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":265979,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/eikestadnuus\/lesersbrief-wie-trek-werklik-voordeel-hieruit\/","url_meta":{"origin":263412,"position":5},"title":"LESERSBRIEF: Wie trek werklik voordeel hieruit?","author":"Eikestadnuus","date":"24 July 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Die Stellenbosch-munisipaliteit se begroting vir 2025-'26 wys dat R59,8\u202fmiljoen vir Cloetesville geoormerk is. 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