Outcry over use of vacant plot
AN ENVIRONMENTALLY protected vacant plot in Phoenix planned for mixed-use development is under scrutiny.
This after residents called for an investigation into the development of the land, situated on the corner of Lenham and JG Champion Drive, by Woodglaze Trading, a property company owned by businessman Jay Singh, who died recently.
The land in question was deemed an environmentally protected area because it constitutes a stream and a wetland.
An investigation by the Sunday Tribune revealed that the plot was transferred to Woodglaze Trading in 2013 from ethekwini Municipality.
The company has been using the plot as a dumping site to dispose of sand and rubble.
In 2016, ethekwini Municipality’s environmental planning and climate protection department issued a directive to Woodglaze Trading to stop illegal infilling of wetlands with rubble and sand.
City officials conducted an investigation and observed tip trucks dumping sand and waste material on the property and earth moving equipment levelling it into a platform that encroaches into the wetland habitat.
The company was ordered to cease all operation and cordoned off the area.
The city also instructed Woodglaze to appoint an independent environmental specialist at its own cost to assess the damage on the environment and make recommendations on how best the damage can be re-mediated.
However, according to the building plans submitted to the municipality in 2017, the company aimed to build a mixed-use property which would include a hospital, retail shops and a residential complex.
Msawakhe Mayisela, the city spokesperson, said the land was not owned by the city and was zoned for education.
“It is provincial land. We have not received any development application, and there are no records of the building plan being lodged with the Land Use Management branch,” he said.
Angered by how municipal land was used and transferred, Phoenix Tenants and Residents Association lodged complaints with law enforcement agencies, the municipality, and environmental affairs for further investigation of the land.
The Green Scorpions, an Environmental Management Inspectorate (EMI), visited the site recently to inspect whether the construction complies with environmental legislation.
The construction work was expected to start soon as earth movers and construction vehicles were delivered.
Albi Modise, Department of Environmental Affairs spokesperson, declined to comment on the Green Scorpions site visit, saying there was nothing to share with the public at this stage.
Mervyn Govender, from the Phoenix Tenants and Residents Association, said they were disappointed by the government’s delay to intervene in the land issues in Phoenix.
He said it took more than six years for this matter to be investigated after numerous complaints were lodged.
“We are disappointed that the government is not keeping the pulse on environmental issues, land grabs and fraud. There are a lot of grey areas about this particular land which is one of many sites acquired in a dodgy manner. The rezoning in Phoenix is also a mess. It requires the municipality to act and get its environment and planning department to do its job. If we let unapproved development like this to go up, we will see more tragedy in these areas,” he said.
Pravashkumar Inderjeeth,
Woodglaze Trading manager, said the site was awarded to the company in 2005, and was not deemed environmentally protected.
Inderjeeth would not provide details as to how the land was acquired.
“It was never our intention to develop the site without the necessary approvals. It should be noted that we are still in the conceptual planning phase aimed towards the environmental assessment phase, which is in its initial stage. The conceptual planning is based on a mixed use development with 90% aimed at social housing.”
He said the studies were ongoing and it was in their interest to ensure all environmental requirements were met.
“The professional studies conducted will remedy the situation and we ensure that the development will meet with sustainable goals and construction will commence upon approval from ethekwini Municipality development and planning,” he said.
Inderjeeth said the envisaged development would uplift the community.