If you live in DIE BOORD or surrounding suburbs OR if you use the intersection with Van Reede Street and the R44, your lifestyle and the safety of your children has the possibility of being greatly influenced by this proposed development. Please join us now in objecting to the proposed development on the Libertas farm.

The deadline for the petition and objections was 21 June 2023

More than 1900 persons signed the petition: a big thank you to each and everyone!

Many individual letters of objection were submitted; see the documents section for the thorough objections from several interest groups and our Ward Councillor.

Why did we object?

Developers have made an application to the Stellenbosch Municipality to change the land use of 250 hectares of high value agricultural land on Libertas Farm, which is located outside the existing urban edge on the border of Die Boord.

Our reasons for objecting to this development are:

  • The development is in contravention of existing planning documents and policy of the Municipality. All planning and policy documents to date have ruled that developing these properties for urban purposes would be undesirable, inadvisable and unsustainable. The application is also contrary to other preferred priority development options, such as the Adam Tas Corridor.
  • Major negative impacts on cultural assets, including the historic Libertas homestead, and on the natural environment, especially on fauna and flora over a wide area can be expected. No Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) as required by the NEMA Act of 1998 has been conducted.
  • It will be impossible for the Van Reede and Saffraan intersections on the R44 to cope with a very large volume of additional traffic (estimated at up to three thousand vehicles per peak period).
  • The ill-advised but nevertheless likely intention to dual Van Reede, will require the closure of vehicular access from Laetitia and probably Formosa onto Van Reede. It will also require the demolition of at least one dwelling in Laetitia to provide alternative vehicular access to the affected dwellings
  • Dualling of Van Reede would also divide Die Boord community, and lead to an increased risk of road fatalities. The more vulnerable members of the public, including cyclists, children on their way to school and other pedestrians face the greatest risk.
  • The proposed development would destroy 180ha of prime agricultural land and have a massively negative impact on the quality of life currently enjoyed in Stellenbosch. More specifically, the proposed plans, if implemented, would negatively impact on the relatively quiet and semi-rural character of Die Boord.