Space and place for students
A DURBAN property developer said he owned six buildings all around the city that each housed 150 to 200 students.
Residents, he said, have no reason to worry.
“In fact, the area gets better,” he told “I do not understand why the community is so against it. As a developer, I am also in charge of providing security for the residence, which not only helps secure it, but works as a deterrent for the surrounding neighbours.”
The developer, who requested anonymity as he feared a backlash from residents, said there was also a warden at each of his sites, to keep an eye on students.
“It’s the warden’s job to keep students in line. But we haven’t had any issues to date. You do get your minor issues, where students will complain about water cut-offs, but that’s about it.”
He added that the reason why the municipality was sourcing more housing was to supplement the shortage of at least 5 000 beds.
“It’s not only UKZN that is having this problem. I have built units for the Durban University of Technology and Mangosuthu University of Technology.”
The developer, who has been building student accommodation for the past seven years, said he was in the process of providing more housing in the central area of Durban.
He recently converted a former office complex in Peter Mokaba Ridge, about 3km from the Howard College campus, into a student residence (pictured). While it houses hundreds of students, there have been no issues, said a local resident.