Clairwood decries its forgotten status
Residents spoke to government officials about the need for consultation.
AGAIN Clairwood residents gathered in hopes of government officials taking their concerns seriously as they continue to feel like the abandoned suburb.
A public meeting at the Clairwood Tamil Institute on Wednesday, 22 March saw marginalised people call for action from government.
Our rights are violated says #handsoffclairwood Clairwood is our home @eThekwiniM @CentreEnvRights @goldmanprize @FoEint @kuminaidoo
— groundWork (@groundWorkSA) March 22, 2017
“Residents demanded that city officials at the meeting take action immediately on behalf of the disenfranchised Clairwood community. The Clairwood area is zoned as SR400. To date it has never been rezoned to industrial, however the area has been infested by illegal businesses and the trucking mafia which has threatened, intimidated and suppressed residents,” said SDCEA environmental project officer for development, infrastructure, livelihoods and climate change, Shanice Gomes.
Read: Oil spill in Clairwood canal
Clairwood has long felt a sense of neglect by those in authority and residents have been vocal about their frustration with this.
“The Clairwood community is home to third and fourth-family generations of ancestors who built historical buildings with their hands from the ground up; three long-standing schools and small businesses that form a rich heritage.
These generations represent a vast diversity of race, colour and creed that have previously been products of forced removals.”
Read: ‘Clairwood not for sale’
Lack of maintenance and sufficient infrastructure and a failure to stringently enforce by-laws form the base of a litany of grievances put forward by the community, who feels abandoned by the powers-that-be.
Read: School sited next to slum
“Government turns its face away from the community crying out for justice and protection.”
The Clairwood residents affirmed they will not move. They have everything they need in their area; their businesses, schools, churches, temples and heritage which is not for sale.
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