Close call for Umgeni Park residents
Residents are concerned about the number of dead trees in the area. Their fear is that if the trees are not removed, someone could be injured.

WHEN a huge branch of a dead tree fell into George Singh’s yard in 2019, he knew it was the start of bigger problems to come – it was just a matter of time.
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Last Wednesday, another branch fell onto the road causing havoc in the area. Some residents on Mount Argus Road could not access their driveways – the road had to be closed and the electricity lines were also knocked over, resulting in the area having no power for several hours.
The Umgeni Park resident said he made several calls to the eThekwini Municipality when the initial incident occurred, asking them to remove the branch that had fallen into his yard, and to remove the other branches that were also dead and hanging over the Mount Argus Road where he resides.
“When the branch fell into my yard in 2019, my wife had been gardening just minutes before that. We were lucky that she escaped injury. This time, she had just returned from the shops and the branch came plumetting onto the road. We notified the municipality for several months since 2019 but nobody showed interest. We eventually gave up and the phone with all the reference numbers was stolen,” he said.
Singh, who has been living in the area for over two decades, said he was in his home when the branch fell.
“I heard a loud noise and immediately knew that something had happened with the tree. When I went outside, I saw the branch on the road. All the neighbours came outside to see what was going on. We notified the relevant authorities. Durban Metro, SAPS, the City’s Parks and Gardens and some other law enforcement agencies came through in no time. Parks and Gardens were here within minutes to start chopping up and removing the tree. The question is, why couldn’t they respond to my initial complaints so this could have been avoided?” he asked.

Tinda Calmeyer said she had been suspicious of the tree for a long time as little branches had fallen off it in the past.
“I have to drive under it to access my home so I’m always cautious. When I heard the big crash on Wednesday, I knew it was the tree because I had heard that sound before, this time around it was just amplified,” she said.
She said the power went out immediately and was off from about 11:00 to 17:30 or thereabout.
“Technicians worked the entire afternoon to restore power but it did cause an inconvenience to my husband who works from home,” she said.
When the Northglen News visited the area on Thursday morning, there were still some cables hanging low, blocking Calmeyer’s driveway.
“The operation to clean up and get the electricity restored ran smoothly. I was impressed,” she added.
Chris Nicholson, a resident of the area for 48 years, said snags are a problem in the area as there are many scattered all over the area.
“It’s imperative that the City conducts an inspection in the area as this isn’t the only dead tree which poses a threat to people’s lives,” he said.
“There are trees that need serious attention,” he added.
Nicholson also commended Parks and Gardens for their prompt response in getting the tree removed from the roadway.
The department also arrived early the next morning (Thursday) to collect the remainder of the tree. The City did not comment at the time of publishing.
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