Protestors plan Freedom Day port blockade

ABOUT 2,500 people are expected to block the entrance to the Durban Harbour this Freedom Day (Wednesday, 27 April) in protest against what they believe are unsustainable developments in South Durban.

Facilitated by the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SCEA), the protest on Wednesday, 27 April will see South Durban communities bar access to the Durban Port container terminals on Langerberg and Bayhead roads from 10am.

They will speak out against what they deem are unsustainable developments in the South Durban Basin, including the dig out port and its back of port ramifications, Clairwood Logistics Park, increased trucking and the expansion of petroleum chemical industries.

“The question we need to ask ourselves is, is this type of development worth pursuing at the expense of our natural, social and cultural environments which future generations will not be able to experience? Is climate change not a worrying factor when it is more evident than ever before, considering the droughts and extreme weather patterns in various areas of not only our nation but globally?

Why are these factors disregarded in light of profit? Why isn’t there proper engagement with citizens on alternatives and ways to improve the lives of our people?

As a community we need to stand up against environmental injustice that will lead to vulnerable communities left at the mercy of bad choices made by government and industry,” said SDCEA.