Truck protest gets its own opposition
THE protest scheduled for Friday, 27 September has escalated from an anti-trucking march to a fight against big industries and the port expansion plans, while other locals feel the entire event is an unnecessary exercise in propaganda.
Following the deaths of 23 people on Field’s Hill on Thursday, 5 September an anti-truck coalition of 15 organisations have called on residents to join them for the protest at the corner of Solomon Mahlangu Drive (Edwin Swales VC) and South Coast Road.
They will call for a ban to trucks on the M13 and within residential areas; local production for local needs; renewable energy investment; freight transportation by rail and for big industry to put people before profit.
In opposition to the protest are ward 66 councillor, Duncan Du Bois, Bluff Ratepayers Association (BRA) chairman, Ivor Aylward and Community Policing Forum (CPF) chairman, Carl Knauff, who believe the protest will not accomplish anything other than cause chaos at a busy intersection.
“We have truck issues on the Bluff, but they are not as bad as they were in 2008, for example, when Elaine Thomas was killed on Bluff Road and the community united as one against the trucks using residential roads. While it is the democratic right of people to march, we are opposed to this march for the inconvenience it will cause at month-end at a very busy intersection.
What happened on Field’s Hill is tragic and my condolences go out to those who lost loved ones. But I see no point in disrupting traffic and the schedules of those of us who live 35km away. It is inconsiderate and a disruption that will not bring any credit to the cause the organisations claim to be championing.
I would be the first one to march if I thought it was necessary. But this march is not and is simply exploiting people’s emotions,” said Ivor.
The protest is set to last for two hours, commencing at 7am and hundreds of people are expected to line the streets. Protest organiser, Desmond D’Sa of SDCEA said there is more to the protest than a reaction to the Field’s Hill incident. “Transnet’s port expansion will increase Durban harbour’s annual container capacity from 2.5-million containers to 20-million containers, which will equal thousands more trucks on our roads, with massive pollution and countless more road deaths.”
– erinh@dbn.caxton.co.za
Fields Hill carnage sparks local truck protest
