(Picture: Swartvlei Caravan Park, part of the Swartvlei Peninsula. Source www.swartvleicaravanpark.co.za)

Sedgefield’s environmental watchdog, Save Our Sedgefield (S.O.S), is raising alarm bells on the matter of the potential sale of part of the Swartvlei Peninsula by Garden Route District Municipality and says it will now pursue formal legal remedies against the authority. This after a planned meeting with the Executive Mayor on the subject was cancelled at the last minute and the municipality declined to agree to a moratorium on the sale.

In a notice to its members dated 8 September, S.O.S Chair Niel de Villiers, said the meeting was meant to bring clarity to the sale of Portion 0 of Farm 185, which the organisation calls “the Swartvlei Beach Property”. So when it was cancelled as some of the officials are on sick leave, S.O.S immediately asked for the meeting to be rescheduled within two weeks, and demanded a decision by 2pm the same day on its request for a moratorium. S.O.S first called for a moratorium on 7 May 2026.

The request “That the GRDM undertakes not to take any steps towards the sale or disposal of Portion 0 of Farm 185, George, or R/E of Erf 1297, Wilderness, for a period of two months after either S.O.S. or the GRDM confirms in writing that the engagement between them on these matters has concluded.” was not agreed to by the Mayor.

Adding further alarm to the situation, S.O.S says it cannot even confirm the property being sold legally exists as described, as they have been unable to gain sight of the title deed, despite a GRDM undertaking to provide it. “What is being sold may not exist, but the GRDM believes it exists and is pressing ahead with its sale to the highest bidder.” the chair advised members.

S.O.S also disputes whether the public ever had a fair chance to object. The committee had checked Die Burger’s Suid-Kaap and Metropool editions for 1 to 3 June and “they contain no advertisement by the GRDM,” Furthermore, the notice – which listed the property’s location simply as “George” has not appeared in the Edge or the George Herald. Perhaps most damning, S.O.S says GRDM had already built the expected proceeds of the sale into its finances before residents were consulted. “Council approved its Final Budget for 2026/2027 on 27 May, budgeting R25,276,000 in “Gains on Disposal of Fixed and Intangible Assets,” S.O.S says this figure “appears to have been driven largely by the expected sale price of the Swartvlei Beach Property.”

A council report tabled on 28 July confirmed 19 properties for sale, including Portion 0 of Farm 185 with an expected sale price of R15.9 million against a book value of R13 million, and Erf 1297 Kleinkrantz (R30 million expected, with negotiations to sell it to SANParks already underway). Council was told the sale would go through by the end of September 2026, though S.O.S notes this has been delayed by “a dispute regarding the appointment of the auctioneer,” reported to Council on 31 August.

In a nutshell, S.O.S says it believed, in good faith, that it had reached an understanding with GRDM at the 2 June meeting that there were no development plans for Swartvlei, Kleinkrantz or Buffelsbaai – only to learn, three months later, that a sale notice, a budget resolution and a council report had all proceeded in parallel without its knowledge.

“S.O.S. can no longer rely on the GRDM to act in the public interest on these matters… it is disposing of them without proper environmental assessment, without proper public engagement, and without honouring its undertakings to S.O.S.”

The EDGE has approached GRDM for comment and will publish its response as soon as it is received.