UMBILO residents living in Teignmouth Road adjacent to Queensmead Mall have appealed to municipal officials to close off a entrance to a side road at the rear of the mall to stop vagrants gathering there and using the area as a toilet.
This follows recent complaints from one resident who says she has had enough of people using the area to illegal dump rubbish, urinating and drinking in public in the area. The woman said despite numerous complains no action had been taken against the vagrants who congregated in the area daily.
“At the back entrance to my garage I am constantly faced with people sitting outside, making a noise, consuming alcohol, dumping, urinating and even defecating from 6.30am onwards. On the weekends it is worse. Umbilo police no longer respond as their assigned duties regarding the alcohol law have changed. By the time Metro Police get there, these people have left. The men are abusive and even threaten me. I cannot get them to leave and since the park opposite my house has been cleaned and fenced, and the mall now charges a fee for use of the toilets, they use this side road by my garage to do their business,” she said.
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“Even the municipal workers are fed up and say they cannot clean there as it reeks of urine. A few time the residents have appealed to the municipality to close off one side of the entrance but they were told it cannot be done,” she said.
Councillor Mmabatho Tembe visited the site and spoke to workers in the road. They confirmed they had seen the men sitting in the lane and had witnessed Metro Police moving them on.
“The men said Metro Police do ask them to leave, however they just return. I will follow up with Metro Police on this issue. Unfortunately with the park recently being fenced off, the men who used to loiter in the park have moved to the area around the residences,” she said.
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