MUSHROOMING student accommodation across Ward 31 has become a cause for concern for residents and councillor Remona Mckenzie, who on Friday petitioned the eThekwini Municipality’s town planning department to start enforcing the city’s by-laws dedicated to zoning and noise violation.

Among the properties that are causing ire for the residents of Ward 31 is a former old age home on Clyde Avenue which now houses over 80 students in Musgrave. Shamim Maharaj, who lives near the student residence, said, “From my bedroom window, I can see all the indecency, from strip parties where the young women walk around topless to waking up to littered alcohol bottles next to my driveway. It’s mostly families and the elderly that live in this area, and we do not get a moment’s peace.”

Her neighbour, Shameela Singh, said the music coming from the student residence is loud enough to rattle her windows. Another resident, Mimi Abdool, said, “The noise factor does not allow for family time and sit down meals. The drinking in public, amongst other unsavoury behaviour in full view of the residents with families, is unbearable. The behaviour is unbecoming and disruptive in a residential area, bringing the higher education institutions into disrepute.”

Also Read: Residents, businesses seek to flee rowdy students’ street

Mckenzie said the problem is widespread throughout the ward with Sydenham and Asherville also affected by a growing number of abandoned buildings and property owners flouting city by-laws in favour of making money. She said the building in question had not applied to become a student res.

“There was no submission and no community participation which should have been done before the property could become a student res. They put students there without due process. We will be taking this up and the city will also be checking if there were plans submitted for the extension on the property; a contravention notice will be served on this premises,” said Mckenzie.

She emphasised that she was not opposed to student accommodation within the ward. “Maybe it’s time to look at the possibility of renovating abandoned buildings in the CBD where the students can have all the resources and entertainment that they need,” said Mckenzie. The Ward 31 councillor has created a database of problematic and abandoned buildings in the area, including those that have been converted without rezoning permits from the city.

Also Read: University of KwaZulu-Natal breaks ground on multimillion-rand student accomodation

“It’s time for the city to act, I have made it easier for them by compiling the database,” said Mckenzie, who has been raising the issue with eThekwini since taking up office in 2021. “Every time that I speak to them, they tell me of the lack of resources and law enforcement to ensure compliance with the city’s by-laws.”

Mckenzie said last year she met with stakeholders in relation to Clyde Avenue, including the Durban University of Technology, which denied leasing the building for student accommodation from the property owners, the Dhai brothers. Alan Khan, DUT spokesperson, said, “The Durban University of Technology (DUT) can confirm that the building at 22 Clyde Avenue in Musgrave is not a DUT leased residence. The Housing and Residence Life unit at DUT has not allocated any students in that area.”

When asked about the ongoing complaints from residents about the student res, Ahmed Dhai said they did “address the noise complaints with the SRC” but declined to comment on the rezoning application. The eThekwini Municipality had yet to comment at the time of publishing.

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