EDITOR – The dismal turnout at the recent Urban Design Framework Planning meeting organised by eThekwini Municipality was disappointing but also understandable.
Many years of subterfuge have ensured that there is now an almost inherent mistrust of the municipality among South Durban residents.
However, it must be said that this meeting was conducted in a refreshingly open and friendly manner, as opposed to past, autocratic meetings in which most questions from the public were ruled out of order. Residents were also informed that their ideas would be seriously considered, albeit within various constraints.
The concern is, however, that this is yet another attempt to garner votes by making use of Marcus Antonius-type oratory. Make friends with the populace, make promises that you’ll listen to them, but never really get further than listening. The blame for such negative thinking can only be laid with the authorities.
Further, mistrust of third-parties (consultants, developers, architects, EIA specialists) has, fairly or unfairly, been developed over a period of years. It is, after all, the municipality which pays these third parties, so will they really go against the council’s plans (or lack of plans)?
As always, the residents have no choice but to give the municipality the benefit of the doubt, no matter how great the doubt. It was stated that there has been little or no development on the South Durban beaches for 40 to 50 years. Can this really be true?
A core concern among residents who were present was security and protection of rights. Without active enforcement of laws and bylaws and without residents as well as visitors realising that with freedom of expression comes responsibility, is there any hope for the future? Should one ‘freedom’ be allowed to impose on another ‘freedom’? If we can’t look after what we have now, how can we cope in the years to come?
It was also mentioned that much of the decay and lack of advancement can be blamed on the residents themselves. That the residents are, in general, apathetic, can further be evidenced by the small turn-out at the meeting (as well as at other community meetings). Surely one of the greatest responsibilities in life is to ensure peaceful harmony among all for future generations. Or are the majority well past the caring phase?
As an aggressively apolitical person, I firmly believe that all racial/political/social/personal differences should be cast aside to ensure a stable environment for future generations. Am I dreaming? For that to happen we would need stable/committed/responsible leaders, not leaders who appear to be more interested in spending money on changing names, promoting and enriching themselves and their cronies personally, hiding procurement irregularities, politicising what should not be political, and so on. Seems more like a nightmare. To ensure sweet dreams, I implore residents to overcome their differences and get active – now.
