A South African court halted the construction of an Amazon headquarters in Cape Town, ruling that more consultation was needed with indigenous peoples who have objected to the new Amazon home.
In her decision on Sunday, Patricia Goliath of the Western Cape Division of the High Court said there is a “fundamental right to the culture and heritage of indigenous peoples,” according to Reuters. Although she did not oppose the project, the judge said further consultation and discussion with stakeholders about the project was needed.
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 residential developments and a 200-room hotel.
The city of Cape Town gave the green light to the $280 million project last April, African Business reported, with expectations that the new facility would create more than 19,000 jobs.
But the announcement sparked an outcry from the indigenous Khoi people, who are calling it a historic site, according to African Business. The Black River development also has environmental concerns.
The Observatory Civic Association, which has challenged the project in court, released a statement Monday agreeing to the judge stopping the project. However, the organization said it would continue efforts to have the project unsanctioned.
The River Club would “irrevocably destroy the sacred site’s intangible heritage and violate numerous environmental sustainability guidelines,” the organization said.
This isn’t the first time Amazon has faced a major challenge with a new headquarters; In 2019, the retailer canceled plans to develop a split headquarters in New York after opposition from local activists and lawmakers.