South Africa: Thousands of Durban residents say no to road
Thousands of South Durban residents have said no to City Manager, Mike Sutcliffe regarding a proposed Spatial Development Plan. At a meeting, Speaker after speaker from different organisations, Trade Unions, Civic Structures and Medical Practitioners said that they did not trust the City Council and saw no benefit in the SDB Spatial Development Plan for the residents of South Durban. The only benefit would be increased pollution, loss of housing and industrial benefits for the major Petro-Chemical and Paper Industries.
South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA)
Press Release: Tuesday, 08 February 2005
Thousands of Residents Turn up to eThekwini Public Meeting and say NO to a
Road through their Communities
Last night thousands of South Durban's Rainbow Nation turned up at the
Austerville Civic Center to say NO to City Manager, Mike Sutcliffe regarding
the proposed Spatial Development Plan.
Speaker after speaker from different organisations, Trade Unions, Civic
Structures, Medical Practitioners said that they did not TRUST the City
Council and saw no benefit in the SDB Spatial Development Plan for the
residents of South Durban. The only benefit would be increased pollution,
loss of housing and industrial benefits for the major Petro-Chemical and
Paper Industries.
The SDCEA together with their affiliates and the Merebank Ratepayers
Association, proposed a resolution which was adopted unanimously by all
present at this Public Meeting.
The following resolutions were adopted unanimously:
1. To vehemently object to and reject the South Durban Basin Spatial
Development Framework.
2. Record that the councilors do not represent us and should not be
construed as our spokespersons on this Framework & its proposed
implementation.
3. To demand that a moratorium on Industrial Expansion in SDB be
declared.
4. The community needs to establish a committee to represent it on this
issue.
5. The community committee will put together a technical team to assist
the above committee.
This resolution was adopted and supported by the following organisations:
The MRA (The Merebank Ratepayers Association), The SDCEA (South Durban
Community Environmental Alliance), The WDF (Wentworth Development Forum),
The Athlone Park Civic Association, The Clairwood Ratepayers Association,
The Havenside Civics, the Bayview Flat Dwellers Association, The
Kwazulu-Natal Subsistence Fishermen, The Concerned Citizen's Forum, The
eThekwini Social Forum, Bluff Ridge Conservancy, The Construction
Engineering Industrial Workers Association, The Auswent Taxi Association,
Crisis Careline and The Isipingo Environmental Committee.
Ends//............
For further information please contact the SDCEA offices - 031 - 461 1991 /
468 9069 or Desmond D'Sa - 083 982 6939