Reservoir Hills residents say no to land use amendment

CLOSE to 7 000 residents, primarily from Reservoir Hills and surrounding areas, have objected to the proposed amendment to eThekwini’s Land Use Schemes which they believe, if finalised, would allow the city to use vacant public land for temporary housing.

The amendment to the central, north, south, Reservoir Hills, inner west and outer west land use schemes was publicised in the media in July and the public had until this week to object.

In terms of the proposal, the number of days for the temporary use of any facility, property or infrastructure would be increased from 28 days to 52 days. There is also provision for this period to be extended beyond that with the permission of the head of Development Planning, Environment and Management.

Objections included those from the Reservoir Hills Ratepayers’ Association, Community Policing Sub-Forum, residents and community activists.

Ish Prahladh, chairperson of the ratepayers’ association, helped lobby the community against the proposal.

The objection was based on four factors: services and security, trust, politics and engagement.

With regards to services and security, the community feared that the amendment would put further pressure on infrastructure.

“In a growing metropolis, where infrastructure is strained, the residents fear that population increase will place a further drain on local services, particularly roads, schooling, electricity, water and sanitation, public transport and health-care facilities,” said residents in their letter.

Residents also feared that the amendment would further compromise safety and security, contributing to overcrowding and excessive overpopulation, and leading to an increase in crime, noise, disturbances and a general degradation of the infrastructure of the area.

They said the vulnerability of development in the area had also led to a decline in trust.

“The formulation of this outright plan without careful consideration of the impact on residents while endangering the health and financial well-being of an entire community … is unfathomable.”

Ivan Govender, a resident who lives at the corner of Shannon and Annet drives and who farms in the area, was one of the residents who lodged his objections.

He said the amendment would bring more problems to the area.

He said informal settlements were expanding at a rapid rate.

“Last week five plots were cleared for building. People are building and renting it out for as little as R50 a month.”

He said he had come to terms with the informal settlement which had been there for years and had developed a mutual relationship with its residents.

“It’s the new guys that are coming in from outside the area that I have a problem with. Our property value has dropped dramatically but we are still paying incredibly high rates.

“This new amendment is a no go. The city cannot be taking vacant land and doing with it as they please. It’s not fair to us.”

Lance Govender, a resident of the area for more than 30 years, said he was surrounded by informal settlements and believed the amendment would cause further growth.

“This has been going on for over 10 years. The biggest issue is the top of

Shannon (Drive) which keeps growing. We understand that a lot of dwellers live in the area but the expansion is getting out of control.”

He said he had called the Land Invasion Unit on several occasions but nothing had been done.

“There are times when I pass the settlement and I have dirt thrown on my vehicle, sometimes even buckets of urine. There are rats the size of cats that are living there.”

He said he just wanted the area to be clean.

“We have been a dumping ground for far too long. We understand the informals have nowhere to go but we cannot take any more. When do we get a chance to say no?”

He said he knew of people who had moved out of the area and rented out their properties.

“But even renters have had enough and want to leave.”

He said rates continued to rise despite property values falling.

“I have so many retired pensioners who are living nearby, pensioners who have slogged their entire lives to own a decent property, now they will never get what their house is truly worth.”

Govender said he grew up in the area and had seen first-hand how it changed.

“I (was) schooled here, I got married here and my children are living here. I wanted this to be a place where I grew old, but I’m not so sure anymore.”

On the proposed amendment, Msawakhe Mayisela, a spokesperson for eThekwini Municipality, said each objection would be assessed according to its merit.

“The decision to proceed with the proposed amendment does not depend on the number of objections submitted.” He added: The clause being amended is in all the applicable land use schemes in eThekwini.”