Environmental Groups Object 4: PG Bison Bullies Environmentalists?
In approximately 2008, Cobus Venter, who was part of Dr. Chris Mulder’s Uitzicht team and introduced at the open day as the manager-to-be of the Uitzicht plantation, became plantation manager of PG Bison.
The Western Heads Protection Group (WHPG) had collected some funds and wanted to approach Barlows with a plan to manage the fynbos on the Uitzicht land once it had been harvested. PG Bison refused to harvest their trees, despite the notice given four years earlier and despite the fact that the trees on their land of the same age had been harvested years ago. Initially we were told that Dr. Mulder had asked them not to harvest and later we were advised that they wanted to keep the trees on the land for policy reasons. At all times, we were advised that Barlows would not allow PG Bison to replant once they had harvested.
Finally from 2010 onwards, the trees were harvested and the indigenous vegetation recovered remarkably. This recovery is in stark contrast to Cobus Venter’s views expressed some years earlier.
At the end of January this year (2013), we noticed that vegetation was being cleared on the Uitzicht property. Ms. Campbell contacted Piet van Zyl, who is currently the PG Bison plantation manger, and he advised her that Barlows had given them permission to replant for 25 years. Ms. Campbell was shocked as the fynbos on the property was critically endangered. Ms Campbell contacted Mr. Pinn at Barlows and he denied that PG Bison had been given a fixed term to replant. He advised her that he was visited by Cobus Venter and Gary Chaplin from PG Bison in December 2012. They asked for a fixed term of some 20 years to replant and Mr. Pinn and Mr. Pratt laughed and said they would not be alive in 20 years time. They were advised that they could replant, but that they could be given six months notice by Barlows to vacate the property at any time.
Ms. Campbell contacted Mr. Joe Grove from PG Bison and requested him to stop clearing the vegetation. As she was unaware of the association between CMAI and PG Bison at the time, she advised him that she suspected that Cobus Venter and Dr. Mulder may be behind this as it made no commercial sense for a forestry company to incur significant expenses in establishing a plantation without security of tenure. During the conversation, Mr. Grove made no mention of the association between PG Bison and Dr. Mulder.
On the Monday, the 4th of February 2013 Ms. Campbell visited the site with a botanist from SANPARKS and was informed that the site fell within a listed critical biodiversity area and that removing the vegetation may be a listed activity. The botanist, Johan Baard, compiled a list of vegetation.
Ms. Campbell informed PG Bison that it may be a listed activity and completed the necessary investigation. Once it had been established that it was a listed activity, Ms Campbell sent an email to Mr. Grove on the 14th of February and asked for an undertaking that they would cease clearing indigenous vegetation. PG Bison had stopped clearing on the lagoon side and we were under the impression that they had stopped clearing altogether. On the same day, Ms Campbell’s staff alerted her to the fact that PG Bison were clearing a large portion of indigenous vegetation on the coastal side, where it was not visible from the N2. Ms. Campbell contacted Piet van Zyl telephonically and asked him to stop. He was advised that if they did not stop clearing, the matter would be reported to the Green Scorpions. He refused and they continued clearing and the matter was reported.
A few weeks later, Ms. Campbell received a call from Millicent Mkhatshwa from the Reactive Inspection and Complaints division of the Department of Environmental Affairs in Pretoria, commonly known as the Green Scorpions. Ms. Mkhatshwa advised her that she was travelling to Knysna to inspect the property on the 18th of March. SANPARKS initially agreed to send a botanist to the site inspection to identify the indigenous vegetation.
On the morning of the inspection, Ms. Campbell spoke to Piet van Zyl and asked him to contact her once they are on their way to conduct the inspection. He advised her that Cobus Venter did not want her or “her people”, in the same car as them during the inspection. Ms. Campbell advised him that she would only be accompanied by a botanist from SANPARKS. About 20 minutes later, SANPARKS advised her that they had been advised by management not to visit the site.
Ms. Mkhatshwa missed her flight and advised Ms. Campbell that she would arrive on Friday, 22 March.
The following day Ms. Campbell was advised by Mr. du Plessis of SANPARKS that Piet van Zyl of PG Bison had threatened to arrest any SANPARKS employee who sets foot on the Uitzicht property. Johan Baard, the SANPARKS botanist, later confirmed that Piet van Zyl had conveyed the same threat to him personally.
Ms. Campbell fetched Ms. Mkhatshwa at the airport on Friday, 22 March. From their discussion it became clear that Piet van Zyl and Cobus Venter had advised her that they did not want Ms. Campbell to accompany them on the inspection. Ms. Mkhatshwa feared confrontation and it was agreed that they would meet after Ms. Mkhatshwa had inspected the property in the company of Cobus Venter and Piet van Zyl, who are both foresters. No botanist was present.
After the meeting Ms. Mkhatshwa indicated to Ms. Campbell that they had pointed out various weeds to her and Bitou as well as other plants. Ms. Mkhatshwa did not know the local vegetation and she was advised that Bitou was indigenous.
By preventing a botanist from SANPARKS and Ms. Campbell from accompanying them, PG Bison’s representatives had placed themselves in a position where they could give information to Ms. Mkhatshwa, without being corrected or contradicted by the botanist or Ms. Campbell. Ms. Campbell advised her that she would obtain written reports from the soil expert and a botanist.
The above events gave rise to suspicion that the actions of PG Bison may in some way be related to Dr. Mulder’s development plans for Uitzicht. The reason for this suspicion was that Dr. Mulder had clearly never given up on his plans to develop Uitzicht. We were advised in 2007 that some time after the termination of his mandate, Dr. Mulder approached Barlows with an offer to purchase the Uitzicht property and that Barlows had declined to sell the property. However, time had passed and Mr. Surgey, who terminated his mandate, had retired and the present management of Barlows could possibly be persuaded to reconsider the decision not to develop or sell the land.
Dr. Mulder may have succeeded in persuading Barlows, as Barloworld Uitzicht is listed as a current client on the website of CMAI.
During the Uitzicht process, Dr. Mulder advised us that he would never have tried to develop the property if it was under fynbos. In January this year, prior to the clearing of the vegetation, the indigenous vegetation was recovering at a remarkable rate. The property has been listed since 2011 as falling within a critical biodiversity area in terms of the Biodiversity Act and the recovery of the fynbos would almost certainly prevent any future development of the property.
During March, some members of the WHPG and the Conservancy found out that Dr. Mulder had tendered for the ISDF process and that CMAI had been contracted to prepare a structure plan for Rheenendal. This was the first time that we became aware of a link between Dr. Mulder and PG Bison.
At the same time, the SDF is in the process of being reviewed, and if the Knysna municipality can be persuaded to adopt a wide urban edge policy, properties being developed by Dr. Mulder and his clients, such as PG Bison and Barlows, could be included in the urban edge.
Part of the SDF process involves “ground truthing” vegetation in critical biodiversity areas. The Uitzicht property will in all probability be included in the core or secondary conservation area in the impending SDF process, as it is covered by 98% indigenous vegetation and is located within a listed critical biodiversity area. The destruction of the indigenous vegetation by PG Bison and replanting of the pine plantations could make the rehabilitation of the fynbos more expensive and difficult, which may prevent the Uitzicht property from being placed in a core conservation area.
The suspicion of an ulterior motive for the slashing of the indigenous vegetation is purely based on speculation. However this is fuelled by the extraordinary behaviour of PG Bison management. It is difficult to believe that representatives of a listed public company would resort to such bullying tactics and incur potentially wasteful expenditure in the reforestation of a pine plantation that takes 25 years to mature, when they have can be given six months’ notice to vacate the property at any given time. Their behaviour suggests much more may be at stake.
The existing SDF envisages inclusion of the Uitzicht property into a secondary conservation area upon harvesting of the pine plantation and for the area to be rehabilitated in the long term. See annexure “O”. Dr. Mulder is now positioned to oversee the review of the SDF, giving him exceptional ability to influence the outcome in favour of himself and his current and future clients. For example, including Uitzicht and PG Bison properties in the urban edge and preventing Uitzicht from being included in the core or secondary conservation area, could result in significant personal benefit.
Click here to read:
- Environmental Groups Object 1: ISDF Tender Award & Chris Mulder
- Environmental Groups Object 2: CMAI & Chris Mulder’s Plans
- Environmental Groups Object 3: PG Bison/500 Houses for Rheenendal?
- Environmental Groups Object 4: PG Bison Bullies Environmentalists?
- Environmental Groups Object 5: Mike Maughan-Brown
- Environmental Groups Object 6: Conflicts of Interest
- Environmental Groups Object 7: Conclusion
Dear Mike
I certainly do not intend entering into a debate regarding a very complex legal issue on your blog.
Suffice it to say that I have received no written communication from the Green Scorpions as to their decision not to take further steps at this stage, nor have I been given access to the representations made on behalf of PG Bison.
I have initiated discussions with PG Bison’s attorneys and have asked them for a copy of their representations. To date I have received no response to my request.
The decision turns on the interpretation of when a listed activity commences and PG Bison’s allegations that they were merely continuing normal forestry activities on land owned by Barloworld.
From the outset our sole aim was to protect the listed critically endangered ecosystem known as KNYSNA SAND FYNBOS .
The fynbos is recovering remarkably and we have no desire to see PG Bison or its directors hauled before court.
However, as this is the second most threatened ecosystem in the country, we have taken a decision that should the removal of vegatation recommence, we shall initiate a private prosecution against PG Bison, its directors and any other responsible parties.
We have consulted a number of Environmental Lawyers and Environmental practitioners and we believe we have a reasonable prospect of succeeding in such a prosecution. This could serve as a test case to provide much needed clarity to environmental lawyers and practitioners alike.
Thanks, Susan. I appreciate your continued participation and input.
Dear Mike,
Reliable sources informed me that the Green Scorpions found no wrong-doing with the forestry activities of PG Bison at Uitzigt and that they may continue tree farming as they have done before.
I believe Ms. Campbell is well aware of the outcome, but prefers not to communicate this to the readers of your blog.
Makes one wonder how many of her other conspiracy theories holds any water.
Hi, John. As you can see below, i got hold of Campbell for her response. It’s now obvious that you have inside info. Would you be willing to reveal your identity and who you work for so that your comment is shown to not be just a dig from PG etc.
What about the threats they make against tenants living on their properties? Even attempts and threats of ” getting rid of people?’ Kobus Venter is some piece of work, so is Gary Chaplin, and Joe Grove protects all the bullies. Find out who is Cherie Sindall living on Reenendal, which belonged previously to Willow Van Reenen who gave her a 10 year contract to stay on Reenendal. Since PG Bison bought it they made her life a living hell, even her horses were killed off in the most brutal way, to try to drive her off the property.
I have heard many rumours but as i haven’t done the research i cannot take a side on what you’re saying. But i can agree that something is gravely wrong and that the Knysna Municipality is doing nothing to get to the bottom of this problem of possibly forced evictions… which makes them complicit in my book of morals.
Dear Mike,
Your blog during the latter half of 2013 dealt a lot with the “illegal” planting of pine trees on the Uitzigt property.
The blog alluded to the fact that the perpetrator, PG Bison was breaking all sorts of environmental laws and their actions were illegal according to Ms. Campbell. She then called in the Green Scorpions to investigate these illegal acts.
Your recent blog makes no mention of the subject. I am curious – was there an outcome to the investigation by the Green Scorpions and did I perhaps miss your report-back on the outcome?
I trust that you treat “both sides of the story” with equal transparency.
Thank you.
It was a re-posting of Campbell’s blog and, in light of the size of it, i can’t call it a lot but all information on any aspect is welcomed. From your phrasing, you obviously have information so please feel free to identify yourself and share it. Interaction from the other side is welcomed.
Dear Wicked Mike,
Your blog regarding the issue of PG Bison planting trees on Uitzicht refers.
Your blog mentions a Ms. Campbell gallantly fighting against the destruction of fynbos on the site.
I’m curious Mike – is it the same Ms Campbell who owns property halfway between Brenton and Buffalo Bay? Is it the same Ms Campbell who built a road across her property to the beach and in the process destroy many a fynbos plant she now so vigorously defend? Is it also the same Ms Campbell who built a holiday resort a mere 65 meters from the hightide mark in a stand of pristine indigenous coastal forest? And is it the same Ms Campbell who allows the resort’s sewerage and wastewater to pollute the pristine surrounding forest?
Mike, can you perhaps investigate how on earth Ms Campbell was allowed to build the holiday resort only 65 meters from the sea. How did she bypass the Integrated Coastal Management Act prohibiting development within 100 meters from the coast? Dare I say that she bullied the conservation authorities into bending the rules?
If Ms Campbell is a true champion for conservation I would suggest that she remove the road and holiday resort from her property to allow the very endangered fynbos back on her land. After all, isn’t that what she expects PG Bison to do?
I don’t want is distraction from the issue at hand i.e. it’s far larger than one person. And, so that there’s no hidden agenda, please go on record with your name and, privately, send me your contact details. However, i treat your comment seriously and will definitely forward to Campbell and encourage the response here if you are forthcoming. Thanks.
Campbell has responded at http://www.knysnakeep.org/knysna-environmentalist-responds-to-comment-attack.
And so the beat goes on, Mulder have you no shame?
We know you have no conscience.
The main ball is not Chris Mulder – property developers will try develop. The main issue is that Knysna Municipality chooses not to represent the public’s interests and wishes…and believe that they can keep, undemocratically, sidelining us.