Judge orders construction of Amazon headquarters in South Africa to stop

A South African court halted construction of an Amazon headquarters facility in Cape Town, ruling that more consultation was needed with Indigenous people who have objected to the new Amazon home.

In her decision on Sunday, Patricia Goliath with the Western Cape division of the High Court said there was a “fundamental right to culture and heritage of indigenous groups,” according to Reuters. While she did not rule against the project, the judge said more consultation and discussion on the project with affected people was required.

The Hill has reached out to Amazon for comment.

Amazon’s River Club facility would become the retail giant’s headquarters in Africa, with 150,000 square meters of mixed-use space, including commercial and housing projects and a 200-room hotel.

The city of Cape Town greenlighted the $280 million project last April, African Business reported, with the expectation the new facility would create more than 19,000 jobs.

But the announcement sparked an outcry from the indigenous Khoi people, who claim it as a historical site, according to African Business. The development on the Black River also has environmental concerns.

The Observatory Civic Association, which has contested the project in court, released a statement on Monday agreeing with the judge’s halt of the project. However, the organization said it will continue the effort to repeal the project’s permit.

The River Club would “irrevocably destroy the intangible heritage of the sacred site and contravene numerous environmental sustainability policies,” the organization said.

This is not the first time Amazon has faced a major challenge to a new headquarters facility; in 2019, the retail company canceled plans to develop a split headquarters in New York after pushback from local activists and lawmakers.