THE RELOCATION AND REDEVELOPMENT OF THE SANI PASS BORDER POST

The projects aims to redevelop the current Sani Border Post located on Sani Pass to the Good Hope Site that has been selected on the periphery of the Ukhlamba  Drakensberg Park World Heritage Site. The repositioning of the border post will thus provide a more functional border operation that will support the international trade and development relations of the partner countries with the TFCA whilst ensuring that the impact to the environment is minimised and managed with more effectiveness.

The current South African Sani Pass Border Post location is 13.5 km into the middle of the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park, which is a World Heritage Site and is considered to be inappropriate in terms of international ‘best practice’.  The Sani Pass road is a vitally important trade and tourism link and the only direct vehicle access route between Lesotho and KwaZulu-Natal.

In May 2002, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife (EKZNW), who are responsible for the management of the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park World Heritage Site (UDP WHS), submitted a recommendation to the Border Control Operational Co-ordinating Committee (BCOCC) motivating for the relocation of the existing Sani Pass Border Post to a new site on the edge of the UDP WHS. The proposed site location was the former ‘Good Hope’ trading store.  In May 2003, the Maloti Drakensberg Transfrontier Project (MDTP) met with the BCOCC in Pretoria to introduce them to the transfrontier project and to resurrect EKZNW’s proposal.  A site visit was held on the 26 June 2003 with the BCOCC, EKZNW, KZN Tourism Authority and MDTP where the offer by the MDTP to facilitate a study to investigate the implications and costs of relocation to the Good Hope site was welcomed by all.  On the 28th November 2003 David Totman & Associates were appointed by the MDTP to undertake this study.

To view or download a full copy of the Concept Development Plan please CLICK here. Please note that this is a PDF file which requires ACROBAT READER to open.

Links to roleplayers in this project. Department of Environmental and Tourism – DEAT www.environment.gov.za  Department of Transport – DoT www.transport.gov.za  Department of Public Works – DPW www.publicworks.gov.za