THE legal battle between Clairwood residents and eThekwini Municipality remains unresolved. The Clairwood Ratepayers and Residents Association (CRRA) and the municipality are in a court battle over the municipality’s amendment to the Land Use Scheme, which introduced a new Special Zone: Clairwood Logistics Park, following a council resolution on September 3 last year.

The municipality amended its legal paperwork on September 19. The legal representatives representing the CRRA wrote to the Municipality on September 16 about their concerns over the September 3 resolution.

Also read: Pair of Wentworth teenagers charged for possession of drugs

The legal team representing eThekwini told the court in October that they needed time to deliver further affidavits and asked for an adjournment.

The municipality proposed a significant development scheme amendment for the Clairwood area:

• Aiming to create a mixed-use precinct balancing logistics, social, cultural, and heritage land uses.

The proposal, revealed during an Economic Development and Planning Committee meeting, has drawn strong opposition from the CRRA which is calling for an immediate halt to the rezoning plans.

On October 24, community members held a placard demonstration outside the Durban High Court to air their dissatisfaction over the proposed zoning of the area.

Although eThekwini has been communicating with the Clairwood residents, explaining the purpose of the proposal, the public are still not convinced that the new proposed development will bear fruits to their area.

Also read: eThekwini launches climate change forum

In April last year, a group of more than 300 disgruntled residents from Clairwood marched to the eThekwini Town planning offices to protest against the proposed rezoning of the Clairwood Logistic Park.

Since the inception of the consultation process on the amendment to the Land Use Scheme, residents have been at loggerheads with officials as they believe that the proposed rezoning of the logistic park will have a negative impact on residential areas and heritage sites.

The municipality further stated that the purpose of the amendment is to create a quality environment in line with the City’s vision, and this will ensure better management of the area.

For more Southlands Sun news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok.