Sustainability is a key word for Bezweni Lodge. Our beautiful Lodge is literally just the top of the proverbial ice berg. The lodge, the Bottle plant and the Eco-estate cannot be seen separately from each other. They are one, and together they need to fulfil the vision of dutch entrepreneur Henk Maris and his wife Diny. They already live for more than a decade in the beautiful South Africa, their second home. A country that is indissoluble connected to our Dutch heritage. As is Sir Lowry's pass Village. Henk and Diny have started an enormous project trying to provide the children of Sir Lowry's Pass Village with proper education. They believe by heart that knowledge is the way to a better future for Sir Lowry's Pass Village. Upon succeeding their plans they hope to set an example on which many others will follow.
Sir Lowry's Pass Village
Today Sir Lowry's Pass Village is a small hamlet of 5500 inhabitants that has been struggling with poverty and unemployment for the past decades. Over half of the people living in Sir Lowry's Pass Village are unemployed. Furthermore, approximately 70 percent has had only primary school or less. Henk & Diny want to change this situation in a sustainable way. "We decided that it was time to do something back for the community of Sir Lowry's Pass Village. They are our neighbours after all. We drive past them every day, and see how they have to live."
Eco-Estate
With the development of an eco-residential estate we want to uplift the community of Sir Lowry's Pass Village, by creating structural employment opportunities and providing the children an education. On the 430ha a 200 plot up-market residential Eco-estate has to arise. And our vision is not to build a little town where the houses are connected by standard gardens. The estate and the houses have to blend in and become one with nature. On this beautiful estate, less than 3% will be developed. The rest, which is infested with alien invasive species, will be rehabilitated and transformed into a fynbos reserve. It will be one of the largest alien invasive clearing projects in the area. As part of the eco-estate the Toll Huis has to be restored to its old glory and function as a Museum.
Bottle Plant
On the estate is also a borehole from which 25 billion litres of water flow directly out of the mountain every year. It is flowing since 1965, when the government tried to make tunnel through the mountain. It is a beautiful sight to see this clear and delicious Spring water flowing naturally out of the mountain. Current development is taking place to create a bottle plant so the water can be sold for consumption.
Job creation
When it comes to job creation in combination with the development of the eco estate, Casa Maris wants to employ as many locals as possible. "A minimum of 80 percent of our skilled and semi-skilled workforce has to be sourced from Sir Lowry's Pass Village,"
Indirect with the build of the eco-estate more than a 1000 jobs will be created for the area. The construction and operations of the bottle plant is to generate up to 40 permanent jobs, of which the overall majority will go to locals from the village. "After the estate is a fact, we will ensure that gardeners, housekeepers, security and other maintenance staff will be sourced from the village." Here we will be able to create about 400 permanent jobs.
Alien clearing
The alien invasive clearing force will also be manned by locals. It is estimated that it will take 12000 man-days of work to clear the land of black wattle, Port Jackson Willow, and rooikrans. All in order to restore the beautiful Fynbos reserve back to its natural look.
Casa Maris Trust fund
To reach out to the community of Sir Lowry's Pass Village, per sold plot a sum of R 500.000 will go directly into the Casa Maris Trust Fund. In addition, future residents at Casa Maris will have to pay a monthly 'levy' to assure the trust for the future. These funds will solely be used to provide education for the children of Sir Lowry's Pass Village. They are the future! When the eco-estate is finished it could contribute 10 billion rand to the South African economy.
