VIRGINIA Airport is ‘an economic hub for the City of Durban’.
That’s according to ward 35 councillor, Nicole Bollman.
Bollman made the remarks after several tenants (not all) were served with eviction notices by the eThekwini Municipality recently.
The eviction notices comes months after the City said it plans to invite proposals from potential developers to redevelop the airport site.
“The issuing of eviction notices has come as a surprise to me, just as they were to the operators receiving them. Virginia Airport, as it currently stands, is a massive economic hub to the city and a Durban North institution. eThekwini’s economy is currently severely compromised and needs all of the help it can get. These notices make absolutely no sense and were clearly implemented by city officials taking advantage of the vacuum of committee meetings and ordinary council administration,” Bollman said.
Related Story: Virginia Airport operators to oppose evictions
Bollman said she aims to propose a working committee be formulated, which includes city representatives, councillors and other relevant stakeholders to discuss the future of the airport.
The eThekwini Municipality’s spokesperson, Msawakhe Mayisela, noted that the City would be open to negotiating short-term lease agreements.
Responding to the eviction notices, Mayisela said tenants of the airport, who were in arrears, were issued eviction notices.
“The leases at Virginia have expired and are currently on a month-to-month basis. In March 2020, the Municipality did make offers for short leases for tenants that were not in arrears. Only one accepted the new rental offer based on market value, four objected and five did not respond. We have not issued all the tenants with eviction notices. However, all of the tenants that are in arrears will be issued with eviction notices,” he said.
“The Municipality is still open to negotiating short-term lease agreements with the tenants that are not in arrears, but it must be noted that they must be prepared to pay market related rent, as required by Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) and its regulations,” said Mayisela.
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