WATCH: Petition launched for Ballito #SaveOurPark campaign

Ballito residents have vowed to stand against KwaDukuza municipality’s plan to sell a portion of Townsend Park for the building of a mosque.

The community has been outraged since KwaDukuza council decided to sell 4000 sq metres (one third) of the 15 000 sq metre recreational park to the Zululand Islamic Society for R3.6 million to build the first mosque in Ballito.

A large number of by residents have embarked on a #Saveourpark campaign, including launching a petition against the development of any building on the site that is currently used for recreational activities like soccer, netball, tennis, dog walking, and events.

Also read: Ballito mosque sparks debate

They stand firm that they are in full support of a mosque in Ballito, just not at the cost of the park which is used by hundreds of people from Ballito and surrounding areas.

One of the resident’s fears was that amenities like the footy court, tennis court, scouts hall and play park would be demolished.

At a public meeting last (Tuesday) night, the Dolphin Coast Residents and Ratepayers Association (DOCRRA) vowed to legally challenge KDM.

Addressing about 350 Ballito residents, DOCRRA chairperson Ken Lever they would be launching a petition soon.

“We need to stand together because if we allow this to happen to one part of the park then it will keep going until we do not have a park left. We are prepared to stop the whole process using whatever legal means we can, as this process has progressed more than we believe.”

Lever said he would be happy to help the Islamic community find a more suitable site in the area for a mosque.

Ballito Scouts chairperson Kim Tabori said that without certain portions of the park, they would not have a home.

The scouts have used the hall for more than 30 years.

“This will be a heartsore for us and for the future generations. If developments of any kind take over our parks, we will nothing left in the end.”

In the proposal submitted to KDM, Zululand Islamic Society secretary Ntuthuko Khowene, said they would agree to adhere to municipal bylaws and the mosque would cater for the growing number of Muslims in the area.

“There are 220 Muslims who reside in the area, however, the site will serve many more from surrounding areas.

“There are also about 150 Muslims from the workforce, businesses and industrial sectors in the town. There are a number of local and international holidaymakers that will use the facility.

“Due to the proximity to the residential area, we do not intend to broadcast the call to prayer in loud hailers outside the mosque.”

Maps of the area have been circulating on social media, implying that the portion that has been marked for sale is the conserved area at the south end, known as the ‘butterfly park’.

It was said that this land was registered under a private company that belongs to KDM.

However, KDM media liaison officer Sipho Mhkize said KDM was, in fact, the custodians of the entire park. He admitted that portions previously belonged to a private organisation but denied that it was still the case.

“The park previously belonged to the Dolphin Coast Municipality and they had portions of it registered under a private business. When the municipality changed, KDM became the custodians of the entire park and any decision concerning it has to go via us first.”

Despite claims that the transfer of ownership was had already gone through, Mhkize said the portion of land that would be sold had not yet been established.

He said that existing infrastructure like the courts would not be affected by the mosque.

“The town planning department has been sent out to assess the land and they have clearly pointed out that there is infrastructure on the park at the moment as well as a conserved area.

“The plan will be for the infrastructure to co-exist with the mosque. Nothing will be removed or demolished.”

Mkhize said the municipality was ticking all their boxes to ensure that the sale was fair and that everyone’s opinions were taken into consideration.

“Right now the process sits at a discussion between the seller and the buyer.

“Basically, they have applied for a portion of land in Townsend Park and their application is approved.

“We now need to discuss that certain plots are off limits and go through the finer details like the size of the building and parking space.

“Once we have our ducks in a row, we will publish a notice for rezoning and during that time we will be meeting with residents and inviting them to submit their comments.

“The community’s comments, along with the application will then go back to the council where they will be weighed in relation to each other.

“It is only after this point that we will finalize the transfer.”

Since last night’s meeting the formal ‘Save Townsend Park’ petition was launched and as of midday on Wednesday, 20 March, 563 people had signed.

The petition can be found HERE.

WATCH: The North Coast Courier broadcast the meeting live on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/northcoastcourier/videos/298905414122194/

Some of the groups which are protesting against the removal of Ballito’s popular ‘green lung’ are:

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