RESIDENTS of Umgeni Park are raising serious concerns over the growing congregation of waste pickers, homeless individuals, and other informal occupants living under and around the Connaught Bridge over the Umgeni River.

Longtime tourism operators, local ratepayers, and parents in the area say the situation has become a major eyesore and even a safety hazard.

Gary Smith, who runs a guest accommodation business in inland Umgeni Park, says the issue spills over into his livelihood. “Guests who book with us on the regular have started to complain about the eyesore. They ask: ‘What’s going on under the bridge?’ They’ve noticed as they are frequent visitors to the area,” he said.

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Smith is not alone. Other residents say that the waste-pickers loiter openly, carting trolleys and rummaging through rubbish.
“Ablution facilities are virtually non-existent. Hygiene is a big concern. The bridge’s pedestrian walkways are missing railings in places, forcing people to walk dangerously close to the road,” said Sonia Kuppan.

There are also reports of squatting, drug use, and fires being lit, making the area feel “unmonitored” and unsafe.

A particularly heart-wrenching concern, also from Kuppan, is that of a child (about three or four years old) running about under the bridge unsupervised most mornings around 06:00.

Pat Smith, also a figure in the tourism and accommodation sector in Umgeni Park, said the presence of Metro Police is needed daily.

“It’s one thing conducting raids every few months; that’s pointless if there’s no constant monitoring. There has to be another solution other than them living under the bridge,” she added.

Residents are also worried about the proximity of the dump site to the nature reserve along the Umgeni River, fearing environmental damage and pollution.
The Northglen News previously reported on the Buy Back Centre. eThekwini Municipality, together with the non-profit Use-It, are working to address the situation — not by sweeping people away, but by formalising the space.

They plan to transform the vacant land (long used informally as a “buy-back centre”) into a regulated materials-recycling facility (MRF).

According to the area’s ward councillor, Heinz de Boer, the project is about bringing “law and order” to an area that has been neglected for years.

“Use-It has committed around R700 000 to the project. A SMME will run the recycling, helping to integrate informal waste pickers into the formal recycling economy,” he said.

He added that security will be installed, and formal infrastructure put in place. The goal is to complete the basic transformation in two to three weeks, turning the space into a small-scale economic hub rather than an unregulated dumping ground.

The councillor added that they will not stop people from scavenging entirely — “nobody will stop people from looking in bins” — but they want to provide a safer, more structured facility.

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