It may be a dog's life, but not so much for pooches whose owners live on one of SA's luxury eco-estates.
A proposal to amend a no-pet policy at the luxurious Zimbali Coastal Estate on KwaZulu-Natal's north coast to allow dogs to roam the sprawling property has set the cat among the pigeons with its wealthy residents.
Aspen Pharma boss and Zimbali homeowner Stephen Saad is among those who have been championing the inclusion of pets, through a proposed resolution to the directors for discussion at its annual meeting on Thursday.
The proposal, which drew widespread outrage and threats of legal action, was withdrawn with the understanding that it would be addressed at a special meeting.
Saad declined to comment when approached by the Sunday Times this week.
The presence of protected wildlife has seen strong pushback from residents determined to preserve the estate's ecosystem. They argue that domestic animals will threaten the wildlife.
In a communique to residents, the Zimbali Estate Management Association (Zema) included a statement from pro-pet residents which read: “In proposing our pet policy resolution, it was done in good faith to give a voice to the many who feel strongly on this issue. What is clear is that there are a significant number of people on either side of the debate that feel passionately about their position and their estate.
• About 100 - the number of hectares of dedicated conservation space at Zimbali
• 11 - the number of vetebrate extinctions domestic dogs have contributed to
— In Numbers:
“We all believe that Zimbali is and should be a premier estate, if not the premier estate in SA. These common objectives should be a powerful force to unite us, rather than divide us.
“It seems apparent to us, however, that it will not be possible to fully, fairly and openly ventilate the issues at the upcoming AGM, that trying to do so may sidetrack other important issues, and that the legal challenges the board faces from both sides has made their position untenable.
“We will arrange a meeting for interested parties to have a constructive discussion with residents to inform them fully of our proposal, to debate and discuss the pros and cons of our respective positions and establish if there is a possibility to find common ground.
“After hearing the views of both parties and understanding where compromises could be made, we will then activate the process of calling a special general meeting ...
“This proposal will deal exclusively with proposed amendments to the pet policy. It will, as with our current proposal, be respectful of the ecology of our estate and test the individual members on their views regarding their acceptance of a tailored policy for dogs. In the interim all our rights remain reserved.”
Brendan Smith, Zema's environmental manager, said the policy was in place to ensure minimal disturbance to the estate's fauna, and to minimise noise and nuisance factors.
Resident Varuna Singh said in spite of her love for dogs, she supported the no-pet policy because she was concerned about the preservation of the wildlife on the estate.
“We're not allowed to have fences because the various wildlife, the bushbuck, duiker, genets and mongoose all have to be allowed to traverse the property for feeding purposes.
“The new [proposed] pet policy was that people who had dogs would have to erect fences. This would change the whole ecosystem of the estate, which would not be beneficial.
“Zimbali is very much a habitat to various threatened species, which would obviously change if we include dogs.”
Singh said dogs on the estate could also become prey to birds like the crown eagle.
A resident who did not want to be named for fear of reprisal said while she appreciated why the policy was in place, it has caused division among residents.
“I fully support the preservation of the ecosystem and understand the reasoning behind the current policy.
“But there are residents who really miss having pets.
“I would also like to have my animals with me. I live between Johannesburg and Zimbali because I have three dogs. The one thing that is most regrettable is the antagonism, especially from the people who want to keep the no-pet policy.
“They feel very strongly and I understand that ... but the antagonism is uncalled for.
“Zimbali residents really don't seem to take things in a cool and calm manner on certain topics. I would love to be able to have my pets but I really believe it will have disastrous effects.”
Another pet-loving resident who did not want to be named said people were split over the policy.
“I do not believe this is a pet-friendly environment, gardens are small and confined and there are many risks to pets such as eagles, snakes and aggressive monkeys. As much as I wish it could be a suitable environment — it is just not.”
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