Terms of Use

What ShapeSFB is, and is not

ShapeSFB helps residents understand proposed developments and take part in the formal public-comment process. It is independent and neutral. It is not a government body, does not represent any authority, developer or environmental assessment practitioner, and does not campaign for or against any application.

The plain-language summaries, listed concerns and mitigation notes on the site are prepared by ShapeSFB to aid understanding. They are not official documents and are not legal or professional advice. Where a decision matters to you, read the original documents, which are made available, and seek your own advice if needed.

Your submission

• Public participation is not anonymous. Your comment is delivered as an individual submission in your own name to the environmental assessment practitioner or authority handling the application, because the formal process requires a named submission.
• You are responsible for the content of your submission. It should be your own view, truthful, and relevant to the application. Do not submit unlawful, defamatory, harassing or deliberately false content.
• You confirm that the contact details you provide are your own and that you are entitled to use them.
• A submission does not guarantee any particular outcome. It ensures your view forms part of the participation record.

How we handle your personal information is set out in our Privacy and POPIA notice.

Acceptable use

Please use the site lawfully and in good faith. Do not attempt to disrupt or gain unauthorised access to the site, submit comments in the name of another person without their authority, use automated means to flood the site with submissions, or misuse it to send spam or unlawful content. We may remove access where the site is misused.

Accuracy and availability

We take care to summarise the source documents faithfully and to reference them, but we cannot warrant that every summary is complete or free of error, and the official documents prevail. We also cannot guarantee that the site is always available or uninterrupted.

To the extent permitted by law, ShapeSFB is not liable for any loss arising from reliance on the information on the site or from any inability to use the site. Nothing in these terms excludes any liability that cannot lawfully be excluded.

Documents and content

Official documents made available through the site remain the property of their authors and are provided for public-participation purposes. ShapeSFB summaries and site text are provided for personal and civic use. Please do not present ShapeSFB summaries as if they were official documents.

Changes and contact

We may update these terms from time to time. The current version always appears on this page. Continued use of the site after a change means you accept the updated terms.

Questions about these terms? Contact us at admin@shapesfb.co.za.