DURBAN North ward councillor, Shaun Ryley has praised the efforts of uMgeni Park CPF chairman, Brian Daish in helping to facilitate the rehabilitation of a park in the area. The park, situated at the corner of High Ridge Road and Ellis Park Drive, has earned the ire of residents in recent times due to the flagrant drinking in public by several vagrants in the area. Two stabbings involving vagrants have also been reported in the park.
Thanks to the efforts of Daish, chairman of Greenwood Park Community Police Forum sub forum 4 and residents, the City’s parks department recently cut back the bushes around the park, cleared the piles of rubbish, and trimmed the branches of some of the trees.
“We’ve had constant problems with this park but I believe credit must be given where its due. Brian has been the driving force behind getting the City to clean-up the park. We now would like law enforcement to address the drinking in public at the park,” Ryley said.
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His thoughts were echoed by Daish who also urged police to intervene when it comes to public drinking.
“The parks department has been very responsive to the residents’ concerns. They were able to clear several overgrown bushes at the park and clean it up. We have a base to work with following the clean-up but now we need law enforcement to come in, especially Metro and SAPS to stop the drinking. Some of the vagrants are very aggressive to residents and many of them have been intimidated by them. This is a lovely park and we’d love for residents and their children to utilise it more often, but we have to stop the drinking in the park,” Daish said.
According to Ryley, the problem is in the interpretation of the municipal bylaws.
“The problem is that there used to be a provision in the provincial liquor act which stated you can’t consume alcohol in public open spaces, whether it be parks, or the roadside, unless you got permission. There were provisions for it with special consent.
“However when they redrafted the liquor act, they forgot to add that part, which meant it was no longer in contravention of provincial legislation to drink in public. However, the City passed the nuisance by-laws which made it illegal to drink and be drunk in public. So within eThekwini, there are bylaws which allow Metro Police and the SAPS to intervene,” Ryley explained.
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