Residents fight logistics park

PROTESTERS waved placards and handed out pamphlets during a demonstration against a logistics park in Clairwood on Thursday in the build-up to a meeting scheduled for 2pm today at the MTSS Hall.

The Clairwood Racecourse Action Committee, supported by organisations and schools from Clairwood, made clear their objections.

Motorists were handed pamphlets asking: “Are you prepared for 2 000 more trucks per hour?”

KwaZulu-Natal’s Department of Environmental Affairs gave the go-ahead for the R2 billion development this month.

Residents at the protest said the developer, Nico Prinsloo, had been invited, but had not confirmed he would attend.

Prinsloo said he did not know about today’s meeting.

Members of the Clairwood Racecourse Action committee claim the development will jeopardise pupils’ safety, cause truck pollution, traffic jams and noise and lead to community and environmental destruction.

The co-ordinator of the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance, Desmond D’sa, said the committee had until July 18 to lodge objections with authorities.

“The logistics park will have drastic consequences for our environment,” he said.

D’sa said they would start investigating whether any political representative stood to benefit from the development.

A representative of the Merebank Sanathan Dharma, Babs Shrigopaul, said more than 2 000 people had signed a petition opposing the logistics park.

“The racecourse is a safe haven where we share memories,” Shrigopaul said.

Schools in the area have said 90 percent of their pupils used the racecourse route to school.

The principal of Junagarth Primary School, Anil Bhanprakash, said: “Schools should have been consulted before any proposals were made. We encourage parents to make their voices heard.”

Prinsloo said his company did not want to comment.

Tozi Mthethwa, eThekwini communications head, said the regulatory process was still under way.

Environmental Affairs spokesman Albi Modise said environmental authorisation was granted to Capital Property Fund by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development and Tourism.