Here - George Herald

Dr Chris Mulder's response
Ek is glad nie skaam vir die projekte wat ek in die afgelope 20 jaar of meer in Knysna
ontwerp, beplan en goedgekeur gekry het nie . Trouens ek is baie trots daarop want almal is
suksesvol en volhoubaar.
CMAI se eerste projek in Knysna was Belvidere Estate . n Goeie 25 jaar terug. CMAI as
professionele Urban Designers, Architects and Landscape Architects and Land Planners het
al die beplanning en ontwerp en goedkeurings hanteer asook baie van die argitektuur en al
die omgewings goedkeurings.
Belvidere totally satisfies all the current National and Provincial requirements of the
THREE PILLARS OF SUSTAINABILITY . That is Social, socio economic and environmental
sustainability. This project was designed and executed long before this terminology was
even coined and before there was even National Environmental legislation or a NEMA.
It is really ironical that a lot of the people complaining now against our appointment seems
to have conveniently forgot this and is living very snugly in the development CMAI got
approved, designed and planned. I was NOT the developer there. My firm CMAI (which
incidentally has been in operation for 33 years now) was the professional consultants and
team leader for my client Gray Rutherford.
Belvidere was a huge success and cutting edge planning and design at the time. That is why
it was totally sold out in record time and not like other projects developed at the same time
with a lot of vacant erven left even today. Even today it is still such a project and absolutely
sustainable .
Then followed Thesen Islands. Some of the same people complaining now and the same
Cape Town based newspapers had a venomous tirade against Thesen Islands . They lost.
It took the CMAI team seven years to obtain the approvals.
Within 7 seven years it was built, sold out and completely developed. Not a single vacant
stand left.
· It is the most successful waterfront marina development in the country
· It is the largest single contributing entity to rates and taxes in Knysna
· There are in excess of 800 people working on Thesen Islands daily.......not JOBS... WORK
OPPORTUNITIES
· Thesen Islands won almost every single award in South Africa and International awards
(engineering ,environmental, property development etc. The record is there, recognition
from peers are there . Look at the score board !
· It is now even getting a Blue Flag Marina status

· On Thesen Islands we (CMAI) originally acted for Barlows as professional planning and
urban design and land planning consultants and team leaders for huge specialist consultant
team . That is what we do and have done for 33 years
Then later we assembled a development team and shareholders and bought Thesen
Islands and created the Thesen Island Development Company. CMAI ‘s job and my job as
responsible shareholder was the detail planning and design coordination and
implementation on site with the project team.
Then followed Pezula
Here CMAI did the Master Planning and overall land planning for the developer. We
performed a professional planning and design service.
In all of the above projects we assembled as many local consultants, like Town Planners,
Engineers and specialist consultants as possible.
We lead these teams . If there was a specialist consultant we could nit find locally we used
outside ones. That is my motto.
To have planned and designed or have been involved in these 3 projects in Knysna is
simply stunning.
All three successful and combined probably contributing a major part of the rates and taxes
in Knysna and creating numerous work opportunities in a sustainable way . Any other
comparisons out there ? Any other firm out there with a similar 25 year track record in
Knysna -please let them step forward.
My other comments are below
Dr Chris Mulder
CEO | B Sc (UP), ML.A (UP), D.ED (Texas A & M University) Pr L.Arch (SA) A.S.L.A, M.I.L.A.
(SA)
+27 ( 0)44 382 6732 | chris@cmai.co.za | www.cmai.co.za
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Questions:
1. Wide vs tight urban edge'
I have NO problem with an Urban Edge per se except that it draws thousands of people
from Rural areas to the EDGE where they hang around for a “job” , a life , food and
something to eat because the only place for them do partake in a job is “inside” the urban
edge."
My problem, and my belief as a Land Use Planner and Urban Designer is that we should
have a RURAL EDGE as well and a Rural Development policy in this Province .... where we
can bring the basics of sustainable living to the Rural communities as well. 53 % of our
population live in Rural South Africa. As long as we do not have development in rural areas
we will never solve our problem.
SA towns and villages has for 40 years developed “un natural” where certain people
were forced or told where to live. Most of them were forcefully “removed to places
“outside” the current towns . Take for instance Rheenendal. Do you think for one moment
that 6-7000 people would have voluntarily moved there 11 km outside of Knysna in the mid
1970’s . The same with Kurland 22 Km outside of Plett. The Western Cape is riddled with in
excess of 30 ”towns” like this – all in RURAL AREAS all created in the mid 1970’s …….let’s be
honest about it. I am ,and WILL be spending most of productive life as a land planner and
urban designer and citizen of this town and our beautiful country trying to get solutions for
this problem. If we cannot find a land planning and spatial development solution for this we
will never succeed.
All I am pushing for is to provide as best and as sustainable as we can more rural
development opportunities in an effort to redress the historical situation and to see how we
can link this in or manage it with the urban areas and creating economic opportunities and
a decent lifestyle in more rural areas . This we have to do at the same time as the
densification process Province is pleading for but is very difficult to achieve in older
historical towns, with a lot of environmentally sensitive areas, steep slopes and in crucially
bio diverse areas and people with a NIMBY syndrome. What is THEIR solution ? I believe
they don’t have one and simply don’t care.
2. Experience in spatial planning?
It is ironic that I did my Doctorate in Texas ( in the college of Architecture and
Environmental Design in 1980 with my Doctoral thesis on : “Land use planning
legislation and the impact thereof on the Natural Systems and Resource modification an
consumption” !!! . That means I studied land use legislation and laws regulating land use
and HOW it impacted on the natural systems…..exactly what is today called structure plans,
zoning plans - I was the first South African with a Ph.D in this field when I came back from
the US! No environmental legislation or structure plan even existed here at that time.

That was also before the term spatial planning was even invented and if the complainants
understand the title and the meaning of the thesis it is exactly what this ISDF is about. Then
it was called Land Use Planning. In the planning world new terminology is created all the
time.
· I am a qualified in Agriculture with a BSc degree in Horticulture Soil Science. Then
whne my farm was expropriated for the then Home lands I went back to University
of Pretoria’s Architecture school .
· I am a qualified Landscape Architect with a Masters Degree. Two years ago I was
inaugurated by the SA Institute of Landscape Architects ( which has been in
existence for 50 years) as one of only three ICONS in the profession over 50 years
! And received the Presidents Award for Excellence!
· I qualified with a Phd in Environmental and Urban Design in Texas.
Ironically the University in Texas honoured me in 2011 as THE MOST OUTSTANDING
INTERNATIONAL ALUMNUS FOR 2011. In 2002 the University awarded me OUTSTANDING
ALUMNUS.
I Share this honour with 11 other recipients in the 200 year history of the Texas A & M
University, amongst other the prime minister of Taiwan, the admiral of the Mexican navy ,
leaders of state in Latin America and captains of industry worldwide . I am hell of proud of
this !
The actual Town Planning aspects of the ISDF will be handled by Marike Vreeken of Knysna
who is an experienced Town planner. We work together quite often. The TERMS OF
REFERENCE was VERY clear and did not state that a TOWN PLANNER or a so called SPATIAL
PLANNER has to be leading the team.
I have lead planning and Design teams for 3 decades on some of the most challenging
project and technically difficult projects throughout this country, and three years in
mainland China .
If I wanted to I could have worn a developer’s hat with any other consultant who was
chosen to do the ISDF. There will be ample time during the public participation process
which is a very strict requirement to “look” at what is being planned, study it, comment on it
etc over the expected two year process. There are very severe and strict requirement on
the public participation process as well
However.. having lived and worked in Knysna for 20 years - do they really think I am not
aware of what the potential is of any piece of land that can be developed or planned in this
town ?

I know the area, I know the entire coast line of the Western Cape and the Eastern Cape.
Every town and coastal hamlet. I made it my business! And it is my business to look and
explore and identify opportunities. Land owners phone me every week asking if I am
interested in planning and designing for them or co developing with them.
Over a 30 year period as a professional land use planning consultant, urban designer and
heading CMAI , a multi processional team of architects, landscape architects, and
environmental planners with hugely successful developments under our belt and numerous
awards all over the country, why would I bother to wear a developers hat in this case? As it
is, CMAI has NO current application for any development whatsoever in Knysna
I said before extremely proud of the planning and design work we as CMAI have done for
our clients and the projects we were involved with as developers or co
developers. Sometimes we act for clients only and we only involve ourselves in projects
where we can base our skills and design on integrity and sustainability and where we can
make a difference.
· It is not a crime to apply for development rights in this country or this town. It is the
inherent right of any landowner to do so. Whether he/she will be successful is another
matter . I will look at any development opportunity anywhere in this country or outside
this country which appeals to me, which is sustainable and responsible and where I fell I can
make a positive contribution. That is what I spent 9 years at University for and that is my
passion. If some people do’nt like it… that is their problem not mine
· It is not a crime to do what you believe in
· It is not a crime to stand up and fight for what you believe in.
· I have done it very successfully for 33 years and will keep on doing exactly that
· We have never ever in all these times failed to perform. CMAI was never challenged in
court for misconduct or professional negligence
· CMAI planned, designed and got approved some of the most successful developments in
the country and certainly in Knysna .
· I am blessed with a wonderful family, basically all of them living and contributing to the
economy of this beautiful town we call Knysna and creating in excess of 60 permanent
work opportunities and training people of this town to become contributors to the
economy in their own right .
· I am at an age when most people tell themselves “ I have earned retirement” and some of
them did but there are a lot of oxygen thieves out there contributing nothing to this town
at all… I call them “consumers” in stead of being a “contributor” and giving back to country
and the town where they live .
· I still work a 10 hour day ..every day and enjoying it !... all the time

· As long as I am healthy I will keep on doing it and keep on trying to make a difference in
this wonderful country of ours who gave me such a lot to be thankful for and to which I wil
be indebted forever.