ANGER AFTER STABLES ACCESS BLOCKED
ENOUGH was enough, said Hoy Park chief executive Carlos Catalino, when he closed off one of the access roads leading to the Newmarket Stables near Jonsson’s Kings Park stadium yesterday, to apparently curb crime.
At 11am, a grader carrying concrete blocks and gates arrived and security guards blocked off the road to the Cyril Geoghegan Velodrome, the Stables and the old jockey academy entrance – infuriating tenants living at the former academy who claim they were denied access.
The area has been earmarked for a major soccer academy development complex with hotels and training facilities spearheaded by Hoy Park management.
Tenants living at the academy were, some time ago, issued with eviction notices to make way for the development, resulting in the matter going to court.
Acting on behalf of the tenants, attorney Colyn Townsend said the eviction matter was still before the Durban High Court, where judgment was reserved.
“You cannot block or prohibit vehicular access to the building. It is like imprisoning them (the tenants). These repetitive bullying tactics won’t work. Let’s work within the confines of the law. They have the right to have access to the property in the interim,” Townsend said.
Catalino, who addressed some of the tenants, said access was never denied. He asked the tenants to provide a list of names so the security guard was aware of who entered and exited through an access control point at Berea Rovers Sports Club.
Catalino said the entire academy precinct would be fenced off to prevent criminals and loiterers from entering. He said repeated burglaries had cost them thousands of rands.
“Fridges, stoves, office furniture and equipment are being stolen because of poor access control. We have to look after the welfare of the 144 boys in the academy,” he said.
“Illegal residents are not going to stop us from going ahead with developments. They were evicted in 2015. They lost.
“A slum lord put in a new application with the rental money he collects illegally. They are holding up a major development and its stagnation cannot be accepted any more. Enough is enough,” he said.
The multimillion-rand project, initially announced in 2012 and which was to include a partnership with English Premier League team Liverpool, ground to a halt after objections by the Newmarket Stables Equestrian Club management. The high court granted an eviction order in 2017 in that matter.
eThekwini Municipality spokesperson Msawakhe Mayisela said the eviction matter was currently pending in court, and the city therefore could not comment.