Macpherson ends decade-long Kouga land row with reserve and housing split
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Public Works Minister Dean Macpherson has approved a plan to protect 235 hectares of sensitive state land near Cape St Francis while releasing a separate portion for future housing.
Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson has approved a plan to protect 235 hectares of environmentally sensitive state-owned land in the Eastern Cape, ending a decade-long dispute over its use while allowing a separate housing development process to proceed, Inside Metros reported on 17 October.
The decision, announced at Kouga Local Municipality, will see land at Ongegunde Vryheid near Cape St Francis earmarked for formal nature reserve protection, while a separate portion remains available for future human settlements. The dispute dates back to 2015, when the municipality approached the department about using the property, and subsequent environmental assessments found significant portions too sensitive for development.
“In October 2025, I directed that a definitive solution be found to resolve this matter,” Macpherson said. “Following legal review and the necessary approvals, I granted final ministerial approval for this approach on 29 September 2026.” National government will retain ownership of the conservation land rather than transfer it to the municipality, as previously contemplated.
The property is intended to receive formal protection under the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act, with Kouga Local Municipality serving as management authority in a co-management arrangement with the Friends of St Francis Nature Areas. Macpherson said the land contains wetlands, coastal dune systems and St Francis Strandveld, which he described as critically endangered and endemic to the Eastern Cape, along with archaeological sites.
He said the arrangement would impose no operational costs on the national department, although the municipality will be responsible for proclamation and ongoing conservation management expenses, with additional funding expected from conservation partnerships. “This is an example of how government can resolve complex property matters without creating unnecessary costs for the taxpayer,” he said.