Residents from Shallcross and surrounding areas attended a mass meeting to raise their concerns following proposals to use the area’s green spaces for housing developments.
Image: Nadia Khan
RESIDENTS of Shallcross who face ongoing infrastructure challenges, water outages and a lack of service delivery, have taken a stand against four proposed housing developments using green spaces in the community.
On Saturday, scores of residents who gathered at a mass meeting organised by the community group, 100STRONG, raised their concerns about the impact the housing development would have on the already strained infrastructure and service delivery.
According to the eThekwini Municipality, the proposed housing developments at three parks and on more than 1 000 hectares of land, in various areas of Shallcross, had been earmarked for the April 2022 flood victims.
Over the past few weeks, the POST had reported on the concerns raised by the community about the green spaces being used for the housing developments.
The residents said while they were not opposed to housing developments, the municipality should first address the current challenges faced by the community.
They added they should also not be robbed of their green spaces.
Marcus Richards, the executive director of 100STRONG, said the housing development would severely impact the residents.
“Any further developments would only make the current situation unbearable. In addition, to take away the last remaining parks used by residents for various recreational activities is in direct violation of national and international legislation.
“It is evident that proper due diligence and stakeholder consultation were not transparent and adequate. We are now calling for an urgent direct dialogue with the KZN MEC for Human Settlements,” he said.
Allan Govender, vice-chairperson of the Shallcross Civic and Ratepayers Association, said if the housing development went ahead, it would be beneficial to some but would impact the community greatly from an infrastructure and environmental perspective.
“Right now, there needs to be unity for us to safeguard Shallcross. Since 2023, we have been fighting against this issue, and we cannot stop now. We have to stick together and keep objecting. If we remain silent, we will lose this battle.”
Judah Benhur, a social activist, said the residents, especially those who lived in the municipal-flats and park homes, needed assistance before any developments went ahead.
“Some of the flats are in such a deplorable state, that many of the occupants had to be moved into park homes. However, while they were promised that the upgrades would be done within a scheduled period nothing has been done for years.
“The municipality first needs to address our current issues. If not, we don't want to talk about the possibility of any other developments. If these issues are not addressed, how can we even accommodate anyone else? It doesn't make sense to bring people into the community when we don't have what is required to provide for them,” he said.
Benhur said the government must not paint a picture that the residents of Shallcross are not willing to aid other individuals.
“We currently have about four informal settlements in the area. We are already sharing our resources to the maximum. We are in fact over aiding at the moment. Furthermore, we need to ensure that our people, who have been paying their rates and utility bills for years, are put first before any new developments.”
Chantal Devaraj, a representative of the Shallcross Community Policing Forum, said the community was facing a serious threat with the proposed housing development.
“Our already failing infrastructure cannot handle additional strain. We are struggling daily with frequent water cuts and poor water pressure, unstable electricity supply with ongoing faults and outages, deteriorating roads filled with potholes and lack of maintenance.
“In addition, there are inconsistent waste collection and illegal dumping concerns. We are also dealing with limited police resources to combat rising crime. By adding more housing without fixing these critical issues first will only make things worse,” she said.
Charlotte Nihal, a resident, said while they were fully aware of the need for housing, consideration needed to be given to the challenges faced by the community.
“One of the greatest challenges is the water outages that residents are affected by on a daily basis. Burlington Heights has not had a single drop for seven days due to the supply and demand issues. Our taps are dry.
“If you look at the population of Shallcross alone, we have to consider the needs of more than 30 000 people. A single clinic with one bed cannot accommodate the health needs of its people and our schools are over-saturated.
“The question is, do we accept this or do we stand united as a community and raise our concerns? We cannot accept it. The current state of Shallcross is deteriorating on a daily basis. We are crying for help and assistance in improving our infrastructure and in providing for the basic needs of our society and community as a whole. At this current state we are in no position to accommodate thousands of new residents in our already severely strained community.”
Lindisipho Dlamini, another resident, said the “stealing of land” from the community was unacceptable.
“If they want to take our parks and land for housing, then they must replace it. However, there is plenty of land in other areas such as Kwadukuza, Hillcrest or uMhlanga. Why Shallcross? They must go identify land elsewhere and build. Leave our parks alone.
“They cannot steal our parks to build houses for people that are desperate and vulnerable because they are looking for a vote in the 2026 elections. When they come here looking for votes, the people of Shallcross will not forget what they have done to us. It is an insult. We must continue to stand united and fight against this. History has taught us that nothing can win against the masses.”
Logan Pillay, a resident, said: “We are raging because of what this government is doing to us. If you look at the past, we were impacted by the Group Areas Act. Then in 1994, we thought that with the birth of democracy our situation would be better, but it has worsened. The people of Shallcross have the right to resist development, especially using our green spaces, which are so few.
“Every year, there are budgets allocated for the needs of the municipalities, yet they do nothing to address the critical issues faced by communities. They should first deal with the problems at hand, before making such proposals.”
The eThekwini Municipality did not comment at the time of publication.
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