Motala Heights community unites to tackle illegal businesses
With the formation of a residents' association, the Motala Heights community will begin to fight the scourge of illegal businesses in the area.
IN a move to tackle the surge in illegal commercial businesses in Motala Heights, the residents in the area have banded together to re-establish a residents’ association.
A Motala Heights Community Policing Forum (CPF) member, Raj Reddy, noted the area is zoned as residential.
“We don’t want to see factories popping up and we don’t want trucks in the area either. If it is a commercial business, it must be taken out of the area as these are illegal and we want them to stop,” he said.
The chairman of the CPF, Neville Shivaraja noted that the roads were not wide enough to accommodate both a truck and a car and that a child was nearly run over on their way home from school recently.
“This has led to the verges being damaged, an increase in traffic congestion and created a high risk for accidents,” said Shivaraja. “The crime rate has also increased dramatically and so has the number of illegal inhabitants in the area. Our fear is that this will only continue to increase if we, as a community, allow this to continue.”
At the group’s first meeting at the weekend, the DA PR Ward 15 councillor, Marlaine Nair, addressed its members with an update to the problem.
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“According to the City’s planning department, there have been no applications to deviate from the residential zoning status,” she said. “Motala Heights roads are unsuitable for trucks and they are not allowed in residential areas.”
Nair noted that property owners, who are in contravention to the bylaws, are first issued with fines and thereafter have their rates bill increased by up to nine times the usual amount.
“Once the rates bill reaches an exorbitant amount, the utilities are disconnected. The challenge is that it’s difficult to locate owners of the properties to serve them with the notices.
“When those in contravention appear before the Pinetown district magistrate, they are usually given small fines which they are usually happy to pay and thereafter continue breaking the law. Enforcement is one of our biggest problems in this city,” said Nair.
Another problem the City faced, she said, was that if the municipality did not have the details of the person in question, they could not be found and therefore could not be fined.
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“There are serious challenges that the building inspectorate and planning departments are faced with and the problem is just getting bigger.
“Whether it’s an increase in budget or staff or, perhaps, amendments to the by-laws and regulations, something has to be done. It’s unfair that some residents abide by the law while others continue to break the law and get away with it,” said Nair
The Motala Heights delegation will provide Nair with a list of properties that are contravening the bylaws as well as the details regarding the illegal activities taking place. She will then take the case to the City.
The eThekwini Municipality did not comment by the time of going to print.
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