SOME METRO COUNCILLORS AND MUNICIPAL OFFICIALS MUST SHED THEIR COLONIAL MENTALITY OVER THEIR FAILURE TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT OF THE RESIDENTIAL AREA OF OTTAWA, NEAR VERULAM

THE RESIDENTIAL AREA OF OTTAWA, NEAR VERULAM, IS BEING DESTROYED BY THE ETHEKWINI MUNICIPALITY ALLOWING THE GROWTH OF MOTOR SCRAP YARDS, HEAVY TRUCKS PARKING, CONTAINER DEPOTS, PANEL BEATING SHOPS AND OTHER HEAVY INDUSTRIES

ETHEKWINI IS ALLOWING THE DESTRUCTION OF OUR RESIDENTIAL AREAS BY IGNORING HEAVY INDUSTRIES SUCH AS MOTOR SCRAP YARDS, PANEL BEATING SHOPS, HEAVY TRUCKING PARKING, CONTAINER DEPOTS AND GENERAL ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION OF OHLANGA RIVER By Subry Govender

For some time I have been concerned about whether our councillors and officials in our new non-racial and democratically-elected Ethekwini Municipality have shed their “colonial mentality”. This mental state of our councillors and municipal officials clearly comes to the fore when one drives through the length and breadth of the residential areas and small towns that make up the Ethekwini Metro. I have been reluctant to make this assertion for some time because I was under the impression that 22 years into our new democracy, the “colonial mentality” of the past would no longer, linger-on in the minds of our councillors and municipal officials.

But last week on October 4, I was once again propelled into reality when one of my former colleagues in the journalist world, Thami Mazwai, wrote about the need to shed the "colonial mentality” of the past in order to ensure that black people advance as entrepreneurs and business people. In his column, “Empower Yourself”, published in the Business Report on October 4, Mazwai wrote that “many in our intelligentsia and civil service must shed the colonial mentality they have”.

He wrote: “Black people have internalised decades of colonialism that told them they are inferior.” In this regard in so far as our councillors and municipal officials are concerned, I firmly believe most of them are still affected by the “colonial mentality” that those citizens who live in former disadvantaged residential areas do not deserve to live in tidy, litter-free, clean, neat and environmentally-friendly residential areas.

One just has to drive through residential areas such as Tongaat, Verulam, Ottawa, Inanda, KwaMashu, Phoenix, Red Hill, Avoca, Reservoir Hills, Claire Estate, Sydenham, Chatsworth, Lamontville, Umlazi, Isipingo, Chesterville, Merebank, Wentworth and other former disadvantaged residential areas to witness for themselves the degeneration, degradation, pollution, filth, litter and rubbish that have engulfed these areas. To demonstrate my point, I would like to take you to the residential area of Ottawa, which is situated near Mount Edgecombe to the south and Verulam to the North. Over the decades, the people of Ottawa have advanced from their wood and iron houses to well-constructed brick and tile houses. This development is visible from Munn, Riverview, and School roads in the former area known as “Tin Town”, to Maharaj and Jungbahadur roads, formerly known as Central, to Kissoon and Gazard roads, formerly known as Uplands. The area between the Old North Coast Road and the railway line has also seen the same development over the past few decades.

With the emergence of our new, free country and municipality, the residents, while welcoming and embracing the post-apartheid social, political and economic developments, had not for-seen the general degeneration that have become the order of the day in their residential areas.

Over the past few years almost every road has seen the development of vehicle scrap yards, container depots, panel beating shops, heavy trucks parking lots, and the general damage caused to roads, telephone lines and electricity poles by huge trucks. Their once pristine and over-flowing Ohlanga River has now also been totally destroyed by trucking companies and other environmentally-ignorant people dumping dirt, filth, and sand into the river. At one time this river used to be the source of food for the many, many people. One company has even set up an animal business on the river itself after dumping tons of sand near the old Ottawa bridge.

In the very latest developments, a company has set up a container depot at the far end of Riverview Road, while another businessman is setting up a panel beating shop at the corner of School and Munn Roads.

The area between the Old North Coast Road and the railway line has at least three vehicle scrap yards in operation and one huge trucking business. There’s also one huge vehicle scrap yard next to the shops, formerly owned by the Latiff and Hoosen families. The residents are now concerned their residential area will suffer the same fate as the once historical village of Clairwood, south of Durban, where trucking companies, container depots and other heavy industries have destroyed the residential nature of the suburb. The irony of all this is that most of those who are operating these heavy industries in the former disadvantaged residential areas do not reside in these areas. Most of them have migrated and now live in plush residential areas in the former privileged suburbs. The residents of Ottawa and other former disadvantaged residential areas are now looking to the newly-elected Mayor, Zandile Gumede, and her fellow councillors to shake off their “colonial mentality” and to introduce measures that will ensure that former disadvantaged residential areas are not destroyed through general degradation and degeneration. I am certain that all residents and ratepayers, whether in former advantaged or disadvantaged areas, look forward to Mayor Gumede keeping to her promise that she will not only fight corruption but also serve the people “with respect and humility and conduct all Council affairs in an honest and transparent manner”.

In her message, she emphasised: “We made a commitment to radically improve the lives of our people and indeed, we will continue to seek innovative solutions to bring service delivery right to the doorsteps of our people.” She added: “We made it clear from day one that we will work around the clock to create a City that our ratepayers and the community at large can be proud of.

“We are a City in motion and call on each and every person in eThekwini to not only be champions of change but also take an active interest in our city. Working together we can achieve far greater things.” Mayor Gumede must be commended for making this promise to “serve the people” and to work in the interests of ratepayers and residents. BUT for residents of former disadvantaged areas such as KwaMashu, Phoenix, Chatsworth, Umlazi, Verulam, Tongaat, Ottawa and other areas they would only be satisfied once Mayor Gumede and her councillors shake off their “colonial mentality” and ensure that their residential areas are saved from further destruction. How is it possible that these so-called councillors and municipal officials of our new democratic order can allow the filth, rubbish, and litter and vehicle scrap yards, panel beating shops, trucks and container depots to proliferate and destroy the former disadvantaged residential areas? Or have most of these so-called councillors and municipal officials also migrated to former advantaged areas that they don’t see the general degeneration and degradation of residential areas they once grew up in? THE MUNICIPALITY HAS SAID THAT THEY WANT TO REZONE OTTAWA BUT THEY HAVE NOT CONSULTED THE RATEPAYERS AND RESIDENTS OF THE AREA. WHAT ARE THEY UP TO? ends - subrygovender@gmail.com Oct 10 2016