Trade and Investment KZN (TIKZN) has said the Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Cable Way project remains on track.
It was commenting after it announced this week that it was cancelling the bids for project management solutions for key studies required to prove the initiative's viability.
TIKZN CEO Sihle Ngcamu said the cancellation was motivated by budget constraints, and the organisation will have to prioritise studies that are precursors to the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
The cable car project was first announced more than a decade ago by then Economic Development and Tourism (Edtea) MEC Mike Mabuyakhulu, who said a 7 km cable car route would ferry passengers to the top of the Drakensberg mountain range.
Mabuyakhulu had released an 80-page feasibility study on the project and stated he was convinced it would dramatically improve tourism revenue in the province.
The envisioned site of the project, Mount Amery, is on communal land owned by the Ingonyama Trust and close to the boundary of the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg World Heritage Site which is protected under a UN convention as an area of “outstanding universal value”.
Ngcamu said the bids had been cancelled to allow for new terms of reference for the project to be advertised.
“It is critical to highlight that the project still continues and that a cancellation is not an indication of discontinuation, but merely a need to reprioritise studies that will impact the EIA, which is critical for this project to continue.”
He said the project feasibility study was conducted from 2017, outlining the positive economic impact of the project in relation to employment creation, benefits to the local businesses and communities.
During that time period, a service provider to proceed with the EIA was contracted, and the search for potential investors was initiated targeting countries that have operational cableways for benchmarking purposes, such as France, the Netherlands, Germany, and locally, the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway and the Harties Aerial Cableway.
Ngcamu said there was ongoing engagement with various key stakeholders that have an interest in the project.
He said the studies necessary to prove the viability of the project would still continue.
“The current bid has been cancelled owing to financial constraints and will be readvertised at a reduced scope to cover critical studies required for the EIA.
“The initial feasibility study proved the viability of the project but it is important to note that due to a time lag, dynamics have changed, necessitating the revision of these studies to align with current realities.”
Ngcamu said the location of the project also meant that it cannot be hurried.
“Whilst progress might seem slow, it is important to note that due to the location of this project (close to the buffer zone of the protracted site and a site declared by Unesco as a heritage site), it is important that it is treated with the sensitivity it deserves for the project to go ahead.”
Edtea MEC Reverend Musa Zondi said the project was established to add to the tourism offering of KZN and specifically to the Drakensberg region so it could boost tourism in the area.
“Once you encourage people to go and visit the hotels located in the area, it will improve the tourism experience, so it is not limited to what is already there.
“It is about making the tourism visit to the area worthwhile and not limited to the undeniable natural beauty of the region.”
The Mercury