RESIDENTS of Clairwood, south of Durban, are fed up with the influx of logistics companies and the mushrooming of illegal businesses in the once-flourishing community.
Residents say there has been an ongoing battle with the eThekwini Municipality to address their concerns regarding the logistics businesses operating from residential properties and trucks using the roads, which are only six metres wide, causing obstruction, congestion and damage to infrastructure, among other concerns.
The residents have also raised their concerns over the noise and air pollution, as well as the safety of motorists and pedestrians, mainly the elderly and children, who travel by foot to and from school.
Sundree Pillay (83) of Flower Road said she has not had a good night’s sleep in over 15 years due to a container depot situated at the back of her property.
She said to add to her woes, another trucking business has been operating from an adjacent property for the past three years.
“I am old and should be living in peace, but every day and night, even on a Sunday, I have to deal with this noise. I wake up in the middle of the night in shock as they drop the containers. It feels like an earthquake.
“My house walls and windows have even started to crack. I had to replace my roof as it had cracked. I don’t know which day one of those containers is going to fall on my house and kill us.
“It is very sad as my father built this house 70 years ago, and this is where we grew up, started our own families and made many memories. At this age, how do I pack up and leave? Where must I go?
“But, we are the pioneers of this area, so why must we go? I have even complained to the businesses, but nothing changes. They continue to make their millions and make our lives unbearable,” she said.
Ravin Brijlal (61) of Amber Road said the surge in logistic companies and illegal businesses has had a grave impact on the community.
“We cannot even walk on the roads as we are afraid that we will be knocked over and killed by one of these speeding trucks. We have had deaths in the area before, and at the time, the municipality would say they will deal with the trucking issue, but then weeks go by, and it’s all forgotten.
“We also have a lot of these smaller businesses popping up, such as tyre repair shops, diesel manufacturers, and palette makers, among others, which are operating on our doorstep. We cannot sleep at times due to the noise from machinery and smell of the toxins,” he said.
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Brijlal, the public relations officer of the Clairwood Ratepayers and Residents Association (CRRA) said their attempts to get the municipality to intervene have been futile.
“We have taken them to court, but two years have passed, and we are still waiting for an outcome. So, the question is, how much longer must the residents suffer?
“Why were the residents, who have lived here their entire lives, not consulted before the businesses were given the go-ahead? Clairwood is still a residential area and not an industrial park. We will fight till we are heard,” he said.
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Msawakhe Mayisela, the eThekwini Municipality spokesperson said while the majority of Clairwood properties are zoned as special residential, some were zoned for pre-scheme land uses, special-consent approval, and land uses through special-consent appeals.
He said that, however, there was a long history of Clairwood being served with notices for illegal land uses.
“Due to its proximity to industries and to the harbour, trucking businesses and motor workshops are the dominant illegal activities in the area. The City has bylaws in place that address such contraventions.
“We have various departments, including Metro police, that have in the past, fined illegal businesses and trucks in the area. These operations continue. We request that residents report these transgressions as and when they happen so that they can be attended to with speed,” he said.
Residents can call the Metro police emergency line on 031 361 0000.
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