EARTHLIFE Africa Durban will host the community at a public meeting where the port expansion and trucking will be discussed. The meeting will take place at Manning Road Methodist Church, 450 Che Guevara (Moore) Road, Glenwood on Monday 25 April from 6pm to 8pm.
According to Vanessa Black from Earthlife Africa Durban, many residents in Glenwood and Umbilo are concerned about the increase in trucking in these areas. The back of port plans include plans for rezoning areas for logistics for the Dug-out Port.
“Already trucking has a massive impact in terms of pollution, noise, congestion, accidents and general crime and grime. Unless communities rise up and stop these plans this will escalate as the port expansion plans into the old airport site and Bayhead will result in a tenfold increase in the numbers of containers coming through the port,” she said.
She said Clairwood had already deteriorated due to industry using its roads for the transportation of heavy goods, which had resulted in a number of fatalities and homes being destroyed due to accidents.
“We need to reduce emissions of Greenhouse gasses from road freight in order to transition to a low carbon city, and prevent catastrophic climate change. This will not happen unless residents are prepared to unite. The Dug-out port alone will cost R250 billion which the country cannot afford. The potential for corruption is huge,” she said.
Desmond D’Sa from South Durban Community Environment Alliance and Black will address the community at the meeting. The meeting will not only inform concerned residents about the recent developments but will also announce preparations for a united protest by civic organsations which will take place on 27 April. It is expected that approximately 2500 people from South Durban and surrounding areas will block the Durban Port at the entrance of the Durban Port container terminals on Langerberg and Bayhead Road.
“Freedom day marks the day we gained democracy and the right to express our views and opinions with considerations. However, as the years progressed, democracy seems more far-fetched than tangible in all aspects of this country. This event will highlight people’s views through a mass demonstration action portraying the communities outrage and distresses around Transnet and other unsustainable developments in South Durban and surrounding areas. Instead of being people centred, Transnet’s programmes and projects have disregarded people and their rights and insulted the definition of democracy in this country,” said Desmond D’Sa from South Durban Community Environment Alliance.
D’Sa said the proposed plans for the dug-out port, and related developments, would infringe on the rights of fishing and farming livelihoods, which he said, in turn would threaten food security and destroys the local economy.
“As a community we need to stand up against environmental injustice that will lead to vulnerable communities left at the mercy of bad choices made by government and industry. At this demonstration we intend on issuing memorandum documents to Mr Richard Valliu from Transnet National Ports Authority, Capt Alexius Miya, harbour master, Port of Durban, and Mr Moshe Motlohi, Durban Port manager. We have rendered invites and are awaiting their responses,” he said.
For more information regarding the meeting and protest, contact Desmond D’Sa on 083 982 6939 or Priya Pillay on 031 461 1991.
