SUPPORTERS of the Newmarket Stables, who attended the council meeting in Tongaat last Thursday, walked out of the meeting after city officials refused to listen to their pleas surrounding the eviction of tenants. Among the local supporters were La Lucia residents, Samantha and Lesley Devine, who arrived carrying placards and wearing shirts calling for support for the stables. They were among a number of locals who lent their voices to the public outcry over the eviction of tenants at the stables. It is believed the grounds will be used for the development of a Liverpool soccer academy, allegedly worth R30-million. The new venture will also affect the popular Flea Market which supports around 270 vendors and the Cyril Geoghegan Cycle Stadium.
‘We cannot let this go without a fight’
“Horses have been a big part of my family’s life. When I heard about the eviction notice, I was horrified. I thought about my daughter, Demi, who recently started riding at the pony riding school and just loves it. I thought about how the senseless decision by the city is going to affects hundreds of families. If the city goes ahead and demolishes the stables, they will have to wait five years to build anything because of tetanus. The stables are an oasis in a concrete jungle and we cannot let this go without a fight. We are going to stand in solidarity behind the Newmarket Stables,” Samantha said.
Her words were echoed by her mother, Lesley, who said the stables riding school are not just for ‘privileged children’ as has been perceived by the city council.
“What’s going to happen to all the children who come from special needs backgrounds and that rely on horses for their therapy. Many of them won’t be able to travel up to to Shongweni and beyond for their therapeutic sessions. What I can’t fathom is that there are a number of other fertile grounds around Durban which could be used to build this soccer academy. As it stands, Moses Mabhida is a white elephant and this R30-million academy will fall into the same category,” Lesley said.
Put evictions on hold: Durban councillor
Durban councillor, Martin Meyer said the city should be actively working to protect the loss of jobs in the midst of an unemployment crisis. He called the eviction notice an ‘unfair decision affecting hundreds of families and breadwinners’.
“The Democratic Alliance, and the people who came to the council meeting who are losing their jobs, are not against a sports academy. We are not against the development of soccer, nor any other sport. We fully support developing soccer, but not at the destruction of another establish sporting code. We are not asking that the project be sunk, we are merely asking the eviction notices be retracted, and that the city manager engage with the tenants to find a fair lasting solution that will see us create jobs, not lose them,” he said.
There will be a public meeting to be held at St Thomas Church, off Stephen Dlamini (Essenwood) Road on Tuesday, 11 August at 5.30pm for 6pm.
There will be a fund raiser at the The Barnyard Theatre on Saturday, 15 August at 1pm. Proceeds for the show Bonfire Hearts will go towards the Newmarket Stables legal costs. Tickets are R150. Save the Newmarket Stables t-shirts will also be on sale. Contact Samantha on 082 466 0459 or email samantha@remax-panache.co.za.
