Construction of Amazon's new Africa HQ halted by court

A South African court has suspended construction work on a huge new business park that will house Amazon’s Africa headquarters in Cape Town after a challenge by Indigenous groups

JOHANNESBURG -- A South African court has suspended construction work on a huge new business park that will house Amazon's Africa headquarters in Cape Town after a challenge by Indigenous groups who say the development will spoil an area that's sacred to them.

The First Nations Indigenous groups — whose ancestors are recognized as the first inhabitants of South Africa — have been working for years to permanently stop the $300 million River Club project. The development near the city's famed Table Mountain is set to put offices, shopping malls and housing on more than 37 acres of land that currently includes a wetlands area and a point where two rivers meet. Amazon is to be the main tenant, according to the developers and city officials.

But the First Nations groups say the area is the site of some of their people's earliest resistance against European colonizers in the 16th century and also has spiritual significance for them because of the meeting of the Liesbeek and Black rivers.

Last week's judgment by the Western Cape High Court put a halt on building work until there is proper consultation with the concerned Indigenous groups. The groups said Tuesday they will now push for the whole project to be scrapped.