04/10/2026
🐧🆘️"To: Executive Mayor Alderman Archie Klaas, Overstrand Local Municipality
Dear Mayor Klaas,
It is a matter of profound and growing concern to many residents and nature lovers that the African penguin colony at Stony Point in Betty’s Bay is in decline, and that the authorities entrusted with its stewardship—CapeNature, along with the Overstrand Municipality and its leadership—are failing the community in their handling of this crisis.
When the penguins originally established their nesting site at Stony Point, the Overstrand Council delegated the management of the area to CapeNature. Unfortunately, management decisions have increasingly alienated the local community. Recently, CapeNature floated a proposal to erect a 2.3-meter-high clear-view fence designed to keep out caracals and other predators. While this was ostensibly framed as a protective measure, the public engagement process has been deeply flawed.
Although a public meeting was ostensibly convened for Interested and Affected Parties (IAPs), it devolved into a one-way information session. Attendees were presented with a fait accompli: a rigid plan for a fence firmly secured into the ground with concrete to completely seal off the area.
The vast majority of residents at the meeting expressed strong opposition. While everyone shares a deep commitment to protecting the penguins, community members raised numerous well-reasoned objections, exposing the logical and practical flaws of attempting to solve the colony's challenges with a physical barrier.
In the wake of this backlash, subsequent private discussions between certain individuals and CapeNature have yielded informal concessions. Word has trickled out that phases two and three—which would have extended far beyond the present colony boundaries—have been scrapped, and phase one may also be shelved. However, none of this has been formally or publicly announced. The public is left in the dark, forced to rely on rumors and hearsay rather than transparent, accountable communication from the authorities.
We expect far better governance and transparency to protect our unique natural heritage—especially considering that CapeNature is actively charging entrance fees and generating revenue from this public asset. Furthermore, it is a glaring double standard. Inhabitants of Betty’s Bay who own private land must comply with strict rules, regulations, and municipal permissions for any infrastructure they wish to build or alter on their properties. Yet, when it comes to CapeNature operating in our community, the Overstrand municipality has completely abdicated its responsibilities of oversight. This hands-off approach is entirely unacceptable and wrong.
Sincerely,
Tyl Willems
