FOLLOWING the call in April by mobile network provider, MTN, for the public to participate in an application approval process for network infrastructure located on 56 camera poles in the Durban area, applications for 11 of these masts have now reportedly been withdrawn by MTN.
According to Durban Anti-Cell Mast Alliance spokesperson, Niki Moore, when Warren Petterson Planning, MTN’s appointed agent, placed the public notices, they noticed that some of the ‘camera poles’ were not in the position as advertised.
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These included the sites in the Workshop Parking, Westham Drive Circle, People’s Park West, Lena Ahrens and Deodar Roads, ZK Mathews and Rick Turner Roads, Peter Mokaba (North Ridge) Road opposite Engen, Plascon South Coast Road, Chamberlain and Quality Road, Maxwell Avenue Park, Margaret Maytom and Umhlanga Rocks Drive and the Ntolozo and Jabula site.
A representative from the company said these 11 sites have been withdrawn from the application.
“The coordinates on the application and document will be corrected and these sites will be resubmitted. Public Participation on these sites will then run again.”
Responding to this, Moore said: “While the Alliance is delighted that the applications have been withdrawn for what is clearly an irregular and flawed process, we have no clarity of what will happen next.”
“The entire project has been so fraught with misinformation, contradictions and irregularities that it is difficult to see how MTN intends to rectify it.”
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She said the Alliance had asked the City’s Planning Department, City Manager’s office, Integrity Unit and Land Use Management to launch an investigation into why the masts were allowed in the first place.
“We are however not confident of any answers as we have been asking that question for three years with no response,” she said.
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