AN alleyway lined with human waste and bags of litter often greets the elderly residents of Thembela Eventide Home on Montpelier Road in the mornings, after they have endured sleepless nights amidst screams and fights that allegedly take place between substance abusers who use the pathway as their home in the evenings.

“It has become a risk factor for the home,” said Major Carin Holmes, the administrator of the Salvation Army-run Thembela Eventide Home. “The elderly have been robbed while taking walks past the alley and even my house, which is behind the home, has been robbed of garden furniture. I can’t even leave my dogs outside at night, out of fear of what might happen to them. The people that sleep in the alleyway jump the walls of our premises and steal whatever is outside, and they think nothing of just cutting the wire or breaking the concrete slabs that surround the property.”

Holmes, who is also a minister in the nearby Salvation Army church, said their evenings are often disturbed by fights and screaming. “There are people sleeping in the alley at night, they are also using it to engage in illicit activities including alcohol and substance abuse. Fights break out and we fear for the safety of the elderly whose tea garden is near the alleyway. The stench of human faeces and dumped household waste is also unbearable,” said Holmes.

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The alleyway which links Montpelier Road to Fifth Avenue also houses an electricity substation and has become an illegal dumping site for residents in the area. Holmes said they reached out to the Ward 27 Councillor Ernie Smith last year asking for the alley to be cleaned and secured.

“All we are asking is for the alley to be cleaned, kept clean, and if possible, for a gate to be installed on either end so that the only people that use it will be electricians. What is happening is not right, it has become a health hazard with rats and roaches coming into the yard. On hot days, the smell of faeces and rubbish is too much,” said Holmes.

Cllr Smith said he approached the eThekwini Municipality about getting the area secured and cleaned. “I have asked for DSW to assist in the matter in terms of cleaning and washing the area, however, the matter is ongoing due to the city not wanting to fence it off or at least gate it off.”
Smith said limiting access to the alley will mean allowing only essential services like electricity, water and sanitation to use it.

Municipal spokesperson Gugu Sisilana said, “The City is faced with a problem of residents and businesses who illegally dump waste. Clean-up operations have been done on many occasions to clear waste illegally dumped in various areas, but such operations are unsustainable because as soon as waste is cleared, the illegal dump is created once again. The city therefore requests residents to be mindful of their scheduled collection days and to take out their domestic waste in the morning of collection.  We all have a role to play in ensuring a clean and healthy environment. Residents are also urged to play an active role of taking care of their open spaces by ensuring that they maintain a clean environment and report those who illegally dump waste by calling the Cleansing and Solid Waste helpline on the following number 031 3118804 or by emailing DSW@durban.gov.za.”

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