LOCAL NEWS - The looming 13km western bypass project has left the landowners in the western outskirts of George in land-use limbo for 20 years, prompting Blanco landowners Greg and Hayley Waters' daughter, Caitlyn Jackson-Waters, to launch a petition on behalf of the affected parties.

The petition calls on the Western Cape Government for certainty, transparency and a fair outcome for communities, landowners and businesses impacted by the proposed greenfield road, which aims to link the N2 west of George to the Outeniqua Pass (N9/N12) to ease town traffic.

Instead of heavy vehicles routing through Blanco via the R404, the new highway will cut directly through the peri-urban, farming and equestrian areas of Blanco and Geelhoutboom, passing near the George Airport. 

While the organisers acknowledge the need for infrastructure growth, they stress that the process must balance transport needs with the rights of those residents who have faced decades of uncertainty.

Impacted farmers and property owners are effectively blocked from subdividing, selling or developing their land.

Landowners say because the Western Cape Department of Infrastructure provides zero updates, local assets are frozen, preventing long-term business planning.

The bypass also threatens the wider local economy; small businesses rely on traffic through Blanco and tourism establishments depend on the rural character of the area.

Landowners stuck

Although the government maintains that nothing prohibits any landowner from buying or selling property, the reality on the ground is that local farmers remain anchored to land they can neither develop nor easily sell, as has been the case for 20 long years.

An affected business owner, George Tyropolis of Olympia Estate, reports being left in the dark despite years of legal correspondence.

Others like Greg Waters of Rocky Mountain point out that upgrading the existing route would cost a fraction of the budget without destroying rural character and livelihoods. 

"The road will cut right through the middle of our property. We want to develop a small equestrian housing estate, but with the bypass hanging like a sword over my head, this is impossible."

He said he is exasperated by the government's facetious response. "They are ignoring the effect on our livelihoods and our children's future. Some landowners have died without being able to realise their dreams. 

"Please, Minister, come visit us and see for yourself what it is all about. There are other viable solutions."

Chris Potgieter of DéJà Vu Equestrian Farm added that the route cuts his grazing land in half and destroys his primary water sources, and that the surveyors had previously placed hazardous stakes on his property without permission.

"We rely on pasture rotation. Must my horses cross the bypass?"

He says the authorities should rather do something about the heavy weekday traffic from Blanco into town. "The trucks are not the problem, it's normal traffic that clogs the roads."

Other affected properties include Redberry Farm and Karma Farm located next to the R404 - the road currently used to access the N2 via Blanco from the Outeniqua Pass.

R1b shortfall

Jandré Bakker, director of operational support at the Western Cape Department of Infrastructure, confirmed the project will move forward with resources committed under the current Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) running from the 2026/27 to the 2028/29 financial years.

However, Bakker could not provide specific tender deadlines or expropriation timelines, stating that the roads that had been damaged in the recent floods take precedence. He also declined to share details on land acquisition, calling expropriation a private matter.

Financially, the project faces a steep R1b funding gap on an initial estimated cost of R1.1b.

Asked specifically about the farmers' untenable situation on Tuesday 14 July, the Western Cape's minister of infrastructure, Tertuis Simmers, maintained that nothing legally prohibits owners from selling their properties, "provided they disclose the planned bypass to buyers in good faith".

He confirmed the first phase still requires R1b and remains subject to statutory, procurement and supply chain processes.

Simmers stated that formal property acquisition negotiations with landowners will only begin after detailed designs are finalised.

When this will be is anybody's guess.

The organisers of the petition call on all Georgians to support their cause by signing it. Simply visit www.change.org and search for 'End 20+ Years of Uncertainty Around the George Western Bypass' or click here to go directly to the petition.

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