The Commemoration Methodist Church will continue to challenge the validity of the permit issued by the Eastern Cape Provincial Heritage Association (ECPHRA) to Makana Municipality for the proposed bus terminus and toilet block in Bathurst Street.
The Commemoration Methodist Church will continue to challenge the validity of the permit issued by the Eastern Cape Provincial Heritage Association (ECPHRA) to Makana Municipality for the proposed bus terminus and toilet block in Bathurst Street.
The municipality’s permit may be invalid as after their first permit application had not been approved by ECPHRA, the municipality applied for another permit and did not go through an official appeal process.
ECPHRA chairperson Cameron Dokoda said if a permit was turned down then that entity was supposed to go through an appeal process.
Commemoration Methodist Church Property Trust Committee member, Jock McConnachie, said, “Pierre Ranchhod [Deputy Chairperson of ECPHRA] has indicated that proper procedures are going to be followed and that an appeal hearing is going to be scheduled.
This suggests that it is now accepted that the permit issued to the municipality was invalid.” However, when Grocott’s Mail spoke to ECPHRA chairperson Cameron Dokoda, he said news about the appeal process had not reached him.
Ranchhod also said he knew nothing about this. Makana spokesperson Thandy Matebese said, “The municipality has not received any letter from ECPHRA stating that they have overturned the decision [to grant the permit].
The only communication we’ve had from them was that we could go ahead with the terminus. As far as we know, we have permission to proceed with the development.
We are waiting for the district municipality to go ahead with construction.” The church has decided to maintain its objection to the proposed development of the bus terminus and toilet block.
McConnachie said, “We still believe that the site is inappropriate and are concerned about how the facility will be managed.”
