Residents take a stand against industrial expansion in residential/agricultural area
The once peaceful farming and agricultural lifestyle of residents of Valley Settlements and Pendale in the Midvaal Local Municipality have come under threat as a result of rapid industrialization and the granting of industrial zoning in the Pendale area.
MIDVAAL. – A group of residents and members of the Pendale/Valley Settlements Ratepayers Association (PRPA) participated in a peaceful protest in Blouvalk Street on Thursday 3rd of February 2022 to voice concerns over the granting of industrial zoning in the Pendale area (specifically on the west side of the R59 highway between the Henley and R555 Walkerville/Randvaal off-ramps).
Carrying placards with slogans such as “Agricultural Area! No factories! We live here!”, “No industrial here!”, “We live here! No factories please!”, “No to industrial!” and “Factories, know your place!”, residents stood outside a property that was subject to rezoning to industrial land.
Speaking at the protest Ronald Gaberthuel, chairman of PRPA , said the issue they have is that the Midvaal Local Municipality is allowing industrialization in an area which is predominantly agricultural and residential.
“We don’t want to live next to factories. This is the place where we live,” explains Glen Leo-Smith, a resident and member of PRPA who participated in the protest.
According to him the majority of residents made it clear to the municipality during a public participation meeting many years ago that they would like to remain an agricultural and residential area.
Despite this applications for industrial rezoning are being approved.
“Over weekends we ride horses and bicycles in the area. There are kids running around and we can’t have truck in our area,” says Leo-Smith.
According to Leo-Smith residents are not against industrialization or development. They just don’t want factories next to their houses. Both Gaberthuel and Leo-Smith say there is plenty of room for industrial development on the eastern side of the R59 highway.
“Directly across the street from me there are a few stands that belong to middle class people who spent years paying off their stands. By the time these people have the money to build their houses, they are going to suddenly find that they have a factory next door and that is not what they spent their life savings to build – a house next to a factory,” says Leo Smith.
Following the protest officials of the Midvaal Local Municipality arrived. An on site inspection of the property was done and afterwards a tribunal was held following objections of residents. It was resolved that the application for rezoning was approved under conditions.
Protesters told Vaalweekblad that they were not happy with the outcome of the tribunal and what further steps to take.
