Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu has added his voice to the thousands calling for the preservation of Princess Vlei. In a statement in the Cape Times, the Archbishop said: “I would like to express my support for the campaign to save the greater Princess Vlei area from the inappropriate development of a shopping mall, and for its protection in perpetuity as a nature and heritage park. Princess Vlei is a valuable place for citizens to come to be close to God and nature, to find peace and to build family and community. God has carefully crafted our universe; let us stop destroying our beautiful world for the sake of short-term profit. Let us use our laws to safeguard our natural and cultural heritage.” We would like to call on Mayor Patricia de Lille, and all those in authority, to pay heed to this call, and finally put a stop to the proposed development of a mall and Princess Vlei. Princess Vlei is ideally located to build bridges between communities of different racial groups, both geographically and historically. It links us to the indigenous people who first lived in the western cape , has long been a site for baptisms by churches from all of Cape Town’s communities, as well as a much loved place to gather for families from the surrounding areas.
The Diocese of Cape Town and Diocese of False Bay will be holding a service on the 13th of October to celebrate the beauty of Princess Vlei and to make Anglicans aware of the threat the Vlei faces. The service starts at 2pm and will be followed by a walk around the Vlei. Make this a family day out and bring your picnics from 12 oclock