New protest over Ruwaad's $4bn South African plan

MEGA PROJECT: Dubai-based Ruwaad is planning the largest development of its kind in the African continent. (ITP Images)

Dubai-based developer Ruwaad has been warned to prepare for major disruption to construction work if it goes ahead with its propsed $4 billion Amazulu World project in South Africa.

The Macambini community in KwaZulu-Natal, says it will disrupt all economic activities on the North Coast near Durban if loal people are forced from their homes to make way for the ambitious leisure, retail and residential development.

Hundreds of Macambini residents on Thursday marched to voice their anger at the proposed project, which community leaders claim would result in about 8,500 families being uprooted from their ancestral land, reported South Africa's Independent Online newspaper.

Leaders, who are backing a rival development scheme from another Dubai-based company, said they had given Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, Sibusiso Ndebele, a seven-day ultimatum to respond to their demands for the Ruwaad plan to be withdrawn.

The provincial government signed an agreement with Ruwaad Holdings earlier this year to give impetus to the project, which would include Africa's first internationally branded entertainment theme park, a shopping centre, a sports village and a dedicated education and health village.

This would be alongside hotels, resorts, spas, a marina, residential offerings, community facilities and nature reserves.

Arabian Business contacted a spokesperson for Ruwaad but they were unable to provide a comment on the latest developments.

Last month, Ruwaad CEO Hayan Merchant told Arabian Business he was confident that the development - planned to be built in phases over 25 years - would "progress as planned".

He added: "We remain committed to developing this project which we believe will have huge benefits for the local community, the Kwazulu-Natal province and South Africa."

Initial studies indicate that Amazulu World will create more than 200,000 new jobs, and will increase tourism to the region by almost 40 percent through attracting millions of tourists.

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