About eighty residents met at the site of the proposed new Zen Drive school on Saturday to show solidarity in opposition to the development.

Game Changers Primary School (operated by Soul Action NPO) has signed a 30-year lease with the Department of Public Works to develop half of Erf 837, a five-hectare plot situated between Zen and Hillary Drive, adjacent to a public park. The land has been zoned for educational use since 1976 but has remained undeveloped.

Residents opposing the plan have launched a petition (now at over 800 signatures), citing concerns about traffic, environmental impact, privacy and property values.

Ballito resident Johan van Nierop said the group are not against the school but that they believe there are issues that need addressing.

“We feel other locations were not explored and that the site is home to protected trees and animals” he said.

“Besides the environment, this will bring a lot of traffic into the area and could affect property values. This is one of the last green lungs in this area.”

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He said residents are prepared to take legal action.

In a statement last week, KwaDukuza Residents Forum chairperson, Warwick Chapman, said the organisation had chosen not to align with the school opposition group.

“They are a charity pursuing their life’s work,” he said.

“So far, nobody has shown they’ve done anything unlawful.”

He said comparisons with the Townsend Park sale debate were also misplaced, as that concerns land zoned for public space.

For his part, school co-founder Philip Bowyer said that required environmental and technical assessments have been completed, including wetland, aquatic and biodiversity reports. These formed part of the Environmental Impact Assessment submitted to the Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, which granted approval.

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A Traffic Impact Assessment and other documentation have also been submitted to the municipality as part of the site development plan process, which remains under review.

Ward councillors Privi Makhan and Ayabonga Zwane met with the provincial public works department last week to clarify the lease process and whether public consultation could be reopened.

According to the department, all legal steps, including issuing a Section 5 notice, securing MEC approval and publishing notices in two newspapers, were followed and the public participation process is now closed.

However, public works committed to continued co-ordination with the municipality to ensure that all planning procedures are properly followed.

“We support constructive dialogue to ensure the best outcome for all parties,” said Zwane.

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