Cape Town – Forestry, Fisheries and Environment Minister Barbara Creecy said five parcels of land have been put up for lease in the Western Cape as part of a bid inviting proposals to interested parties.
Creecy was responding to written questions from DA MP Cathlene Labuschagne, who wanted to know about the remaining number of forestry packaged land, and whether any communities were involved.
“The total number of business packages is five with a total of 21 291 000 hectares,” Creecy said in her written response.
She also said at the closure of the bid, five proposals were received and were being evaluated.
“The proposals are all from the private sector and one has formed a partnership with the community.”
Meanwhile, the minister said her department has received one application for judicial review from an unsuccessful applicant for a fishing right in the fishing rights allocation process 2021 in the South Coast Lobster sector.
EFF MP Nazier Paulsen wrote to Creecy asking about the number of unsuccessful applications that instituted legal proceedings against her department to overturn the outcome of the process.
“On April 14, Dyer Eiland Visserye instituted a review out of the Western Cape High Court to set aside the decision that was taken by the minister on December 15, 2022 to grant an additional right in the South Coast Lobster sector to the highest-scoring category C applicant, in other words, Thalassa Investments.
She decided to grant additional rights to the highest-scoring category C applicant as category B applicants enjoy rights in other sectors, Creecy said.
Cape Times