EDITOR – I find the article, Crime wave hits eateries, which was published on Friday, 21 February on page 2 somewhat amusing!
As a resident in the area we have been complaining since the opening in December of Keys on Davenport loud music that goes on until 4am/5am in the morning. They are not allowed to have loud music as they are not a night club and we confirmed this with Lekha Allopi at eThekwini and by Gary Clayton himself who assured us that they are only a family restaurant, but yet they still play the music as they wish.
We spend our nights on the phone calling Metro Police to report to Keys on Davenport an request to turn their music down, and as soon as Metro have gone, the music goes up again. Oh, and, as per the article, he admits that their amp was stolen. Why would you need an amp for background music? You are contributing to the noise pollution which is against the law in a residential area. Are they not breaking the law?
As for Badgers, who moved from Checkers centre, we have been advised that they do not have a liquor licence only one to operate as a coffee shop. If this is so, are they not breaking the law?
And then we have Habesha, whom we have also been advised have no licences at all, if so, are they not breaking the law?
Sorry to say, but, “what goes around comes around”! We the residents in this area feel nothing for these restaurants, they abuse everybody else’s rights but then cry when they are targeted. They are the one’s encouraging the bad element to the area.
By the way, the security company these restaurants are going to use that was mentioned in the Witness has also already broken the law by erecting a boom gate in St Johns Avenue, off Clark Road. Lekha Allopi confirmed that this is against the law.
Clean up your own house first before stepping outside!
Davenport Resident
Keys, Badgers respond:
TRACY Robinson from Badgers and Gary Clayton from Keys on Davenport responded to the allegations.
According to them, firstly, Keys closes at 1am and the times are advertised at the restaurant. Regarding the amp, the use of an amp is necessary in any restaurant to feed music to various speakers to control sounds levels in different areas. Gary said he has the same amp at home, but wasn’t running a night club there.
He said he hadn’t replaced his sound system in weeks, since his break-in.
Regarding liquor licences and business licences, Tracy said she had both up on the wall at Badgers for all to see.
Gary said Keys took over the existing business, Star Cafe, and that they took over their licences, which are transferable. He said the police did inspect every weekend, and that the municipality was doing its job.
Regarding the boom in St John’s Avenue, Gary and Tracy said the residents had taken it upon themselves to improve their security in the road following incidents of crime.
Gary said security in Helen Joseph (Davenport) Road was being brought in by Keys to help clean up the road.
He said people should stop gunning the restaurants as these were needed in the area, and residents would benefit from the increased security.
Tracy said people needed to work together and sit down and have a conversation to sort issues out, instead of pointing fingers.
