Students party while neighbours suffer

BLARING music, screams and shouts were what Glenwood residents living in the vicinity of the student hostel in Denham Place had to suffer through on Friday night, 9 August when hostel dwellers hosted a party.

According to one resident living in a block of flats in the cul-de-sac of Denham Place, the party started on Friday night and carried on till 6am on Saturday morning when the music was finally turned off. “The music was blaring and screams and shouts were constant. I telephoned the Umbilo Police Station on two occasions, first at 4.41am and again at 5.20am to please send someone to enforce the municipal by-laws, but no one arrived. They eventually turned the music off at 6am!” said the resident, who asked not to be named.

Local residents have had a running battle with the noisy students at the hostel in Denham Place since it first opened in 2011. Upset over the latest infringement of the by-laws, the resident said he had had enough and set out to find out who the owner of the building was so he could “give him a piece of my mind.” He said he was surprised to discover the property is owned by a company who direcotr is a Durban poperty mogul who also owns a local hotel group.

“The other interesting thing is – according to the eThewkini Valuations Roll – the property is listed as vacant land, so the owner is paying rates for vacant land instead of a fully developed property with a three storey apartment building! While he reaps his millions at the expense of others, I request he makes some effort to keep his tenants under control and not keep people who pay the proper rates up until 6am!,” he said.

Councillor Nicole Graham, PR councillor allocated to the ward in which the hostel falls said she had referred the query regarding the rating code on the property to Soobs Moonsammy, the head of the eThekwini Development Planning and Management Unit.

“I trust that she will investigate and report back accordingly on this issue. The noise at the residence constitutes a by-law violation and as such is a Metro Police issue. I would advise residents to contact them. I will also speak to Captain Dingaan from Metro Police to ensure that enforcement is taking place. The DA has been driving the formulation of a policy around student housing in the council and it is vital that we find a way for students and other residents to live together in a mutually respectful manner,” said councillor Graham.

When the hostel opened in 2011, residents handed in a petition with 200 signature objecting to the building becoming a student hostel. However, the special consent application which allowed residents 30 days in which to respond, was, according to residents, waived and they were not informed of the development. Since then, residents have laid numerous complaints about the noise at the hoste.

eThekwini municipal officials said the matter was being investigated and they would issue a response as soon as possible.