The South African court has stalled the construction of Amazon’s mainland headquarters in Africa, in a complex in Cape Town, serving representatives of indigenous peoples who claimed that the land is sacred.
“The fundamental right to culture and heritage of indigenous groups, more particularly the Khoi and San peoples, are threatened in the absence of adequate consultation,” the court said in a ruling dated March 18, but published on Sunday (20).
The Khoi and San were the first inhabitants of South Africa, the latter as hunter-gatherers for tens of thousands of years, and the former joining them as herders over 2,000 years ago.
Communities complain that they suffer from social inequalities and lack of opportunity, and say their past continues to be ignored.
Some of his descendants opposed the development of the River Club project, where Amazon would be the main tenant. The complex also includes plans for a hotel, offices and residences as it sits at the confluence of two rivers.
The company did not respond to a request for an interview by Reuters. When the court case was launched earlier this year, a spokesperson declined to comment.
The Court recognizes that representatives of the country’s native peoples supported the project in exchange for the construction of a cultural and heritage center on the site.
But the Khoi Khoin Traditional Indigenous Council of Goringhaicona and a neighborhood association called for the development to be halted.
(With Reuters)
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