‘Motala Heights is not an industrial area’ – says residents
DA PR councillor, Marlaine Nair said she was worried that should this continue, it will be unbearable for residents to stay in the area and they might be forced to sell their homes as she has witnessed it in other areas.
THE influx of industrial activity taking place in Motala Heights, an area zoned as a residential area, is becoming unbearable for residents.
ALSO READ: Eskom reveals new load shedding schedule
Motala Heights is a small residential area just outside Pinetown which is home to many families.
Chairman of the Motala Heights CPF, Neville Shivaraja, who has been residing in the area for the past 35 years, blamed the municipality for not enforcing the bylaws.
He said pavements and manholes in the area are being damaged by trucks that are driven on the small roads regularly.
“There is a school in this area and we fear for the safety of children who walk to and from school everyday.”
Shivaraja added that there are many elderly residents living in the area who feel helpless to fight back.
“While we understand that economic challenges have led to businesses cutting overheads by moving away from industrial rented space and working from home, there are restrictions as to what types of businesses can operate in residential spaces.
“Furthermore the correct procedures must be followed in order to obtain permission,” he said.
Shivaraja blamed the municipality for not enforcing bylaws. “We demand that Motala Heights be given the attention it needs.”
DA PR councillor for Ward 15, Marlaine Nair said that she has had a number of complaints from residents and was shocked at the amount of industrial activity in the Motala Heights area.
“The increase in industrial activities in this area does not only cause the loss of aesthetic appeal, but also causes an increase in noise and air pollution.”
Nair said she was worried that should this continue, it will be unbearable for residents to stay in the area and they might be forced to sell their homes as she has witnessed it in other areas.
In addition, Nair said she had written to the city’s building inspectorate and planning department for a report on all industrial activity in Motala Heights.
“Every person has the right to live in a clean and safe environment and we will continue to fight for this on behalf of the residents,” added Nair.
The eThekwini Municipality did not respond to a query at the time of publication.
Caxton Local Media Covid-19 reporting Dear reader, As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19. Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za). At the time of going to press, the contents of this feature mirrored South Africa’s lockdown regulations.
