Lance Greyling, the ID spokesperson on environmental affairs, says
'the Independent Democrats wants Transnet to provide a full disclosure
of all the details concerning their recent sale of the V&A Waterfront.

'It is imperative that the public and Parliament are made aware of the
details of this sale so we can determine whether Transnet acted
illegally when it allegedly sold off 90 square kilometres of sea in
Table Bay,' Mr Greyling says.

'If these allegations are true then those responsible for this deal
acted illegally and they must be held accountable.'

Greyling is a member of the Portfolio Committee on Environmental
Affairs and Tourism.

He explains that one of the goals of the Integrated Coastal Management
Bill 'is to entrench the position that the sea and shoreline are
public assets held in trust by the Government.

'They could therefore not be sold off to private entities and when
this Bill was brought before the Committee, 'I know that it was never
brought to our attention that Transnet had sold off a section of Table
Bay,' says Greyling.

'It was only reported to the Portfolio Committee that the new buyers
wanted to reclaim a tiny portion of the seafront adjacent to the V&A
Waterfront.

'The buyers wanted the Bill to be amended so as to create an exception
for such a reclamation. The committee refused, but we did include a
clause that allowed representations in this regard to be made to
Parliament, which would have had to be approved by the National
Assembly,' Greyling says.

'If any entity of the Government sold off this section of sea in Table
Bay then they acted illegally and have made false representations to
the international consortium that purchased the V&A Waterfront.'

For media enquiries, please call Steven Otter, ID media officer, on 084 233 3811