Council agrees to clean up its act
SLUM lords beware - the second meeting of the Ward 66 Operation Sukuma Sakhe War Room on Wednesday, 7 August, showed that the members meant business when it comes to targeting known slum houses in the area.
About 17 people, including the War Room committee, eThekwini Municipality officers and provincial department members met at the Grosvenor Library on the Bluff to discuss the agenda, which had remained unchanged from the previous meeting. Seven derelict or unsanitary properties were highlighted for action.
“We didn’t come to any conclusions in our previous meeting, hence we have the same list of problems included in the agenda again,” said ward 66 councillor and War Room chairman, Duncan Du Bois.
Of utmost importance on the agenda was the ex-convent on Donnelly Road, which had fallen into disrepair over the years and become home to about 100 people living in squalid conditions Families of four or more live in tiny rooms, some no more than three metres squared. A small number of broken toilets and non-existent cleaning facilities service the entire compound and crime is rampant in the area.
Natasha Govender from the KZN Department of Human Settlements (DOHS) said the issue had been noted and an upgrade project to be subsidised by the department was currently undergoing an approval process. The land includes four buildings, one of which was burnt down, two stand-alone buildings and the convent itself. The buildings, apart from the convent will potentially be replaced by 4-storey walk-ups and public participation will be included in the development.
“This is extremely gratifying news. I had prioritised the that accommodation for us to deal with and am pleased to note that after just the second meeting, the project will commence once it had gone out to tender, probably in about six months’ time. What is also very pleasing is the recognition that eyesores like the one in Donnelly Road are undermining the rates base. They do so by the negative effect their presence has on other properties in the neighbourhood. It is my aim to eliminate these eyesores and thereby improve the market value of surrounding properties, and in so doing grow our rates base,” said Duncan.
War Room vice-chairman and Bluff Ratepayers Association chairman, Ivor Aylward said he was very pleased with the news of Donnelly Road housing upgrade. “This is due to Duncan’s persistent highlighting of the shocking state of such areas where people are residing in squalid conditions. As he stated at the meeting, it is his aim, with my support, to improve the areas that have lost market value because of eyesores such as Donnelly Road and the Fynnlands area. I would like to thank all NGOs, the police and the Community Policing Forum members who play a very important role in these factors,” said Ivor.
Other slum areas on the Bluff were discussed and solutions and options were tabled. A log book will be placed in the Grosvenor Library for community members to list their complaints and queries for discussion by War Room representatives.
