HOUSING STRUGGLES OF THE PEOPLE IN DURBAN IN THE 1970s and 1980s

(Mr George Sewpersadh, president of the Natal Indian Congress in April 1980, addressing a perotest meeting in Phoenix)

(Chatsworth residents in February 1980 protesting against the high selling prices of sub-economic houses by the then Durban City Council) While researching, during this period of Corona Virus Lockdown (May 2020), my files containing articles that I had written while working at the Durban Daily News between March 1973 and December 1980, I found a number of articles relating to the struggles for decent and affordable housing in the city of Durban. I found that in the 1970s and 1980s, the struggles were not only against the apartheid regime’s intensified oppression but also against the exploitative and undemocratic policies of the local Durban City Council. All the residents of colour of the city had to put up, at that time, with oppressive conditions such as the increased rentals of economic houses in Phoenix; high selling price of sub-economic homes in Chatsworth; the deplorable conditions of sub-economic houses in Wenworth; destruction of housing settlements in Clermont; the lack and poor conditions of housing for residents in Lamontville, Umlazi and other areas; and the deplorable conditions for residents who lived in the Minitown area of Merebank. I found that the communities in Phoenix, Chatsworth, Clermont, Wentworth, Tongaat, Asherville, Merebank, Lamontville, Isipingo, KwaMashu, Verulam, Newlands East and Umlazi were very active in organising the people and opposing the oppressive actions of the then Durban City Council and other apartheid institutions governing the people of colour. Well-known political activists and community leaders during this time established organisations such as the Durban Housing Action Committee(DHAC); Chatsworth Housing Action Committee (CHAC); Phoenix Rents Action Committee; Clermont Ratepayers’ Association; Merebank Civic Association; Verulam Civic Association; Tongaat Civic Association; Asherville Residents Association, Newlands East Residents Association and Sydenham Residents Association to oppose the destructive actions of city council and other apartheid regime institutions.

In one such protest action, more than 1 000 people on April 13 1980 packed the Stonebridge Community Hall in Phoenix to condemn the rent increases imposed by the white city council.

(About 100 women residents of Phoenix marching to the city council offices in the centre of Durban to protest against the rental increasses) The meeting was addressed by leaders such as Mr D K Singh, who was chairman of the Durban Housing Action Committee; Mr Virgil Bomhomme, joint secretary of DHAC and Natal leader of the Labour Party; Mr George Sewpersadh, president of the Natal Indian Congress at that time; Mr N Draai, chairman of the Sydenham Heights Residents’ Association; Mr Joe Hoover, chairman of the Chatsworth Housing Action Committee; Mrs N Naidoo, an executive member of CHAC; Mr Jackie Nair, chairman of the Phoenix Rents Action Committee. About 100 women residents of Phoenix even marched to the Durban City offices in central Durban to protest against the rent increases. They submitted the rent increases would force many of them to return to reside in informal settlements, into poverty and starvation.

CHATSWORTH In an earlier protest meeting in Chatsworth on February 17 1980, more than 1 500 people packed the Twin Cinema hall to contest the high selling prices of sub-economic houses.

One of the leaders of CHAC, Mrs T Naidoo, when addressing the people said the people of Chatsworth were living in houses “that are falling apart and they will not last 30 years”. “I would like the Minister to come here and see how we are suffering,” she said.

CLERMONT In Clermont, near Pinetown, which had its own manager according to the regime’s apartheid policies, more than 20 000 people faced homelessness after the local management decided to demolish the housing settlement.

The local leaders here, Mr B B Cele, chairman of the Clermont Ratepayers’ Association, and Mr Aubrey Nyembezi, took up the cudgels of the affected residents despite the oppressive conditions they found themselves in. The security police was harrassing them like they were doing in Chatsworth, Phoenix, Verulam, Tongaat and other residential areas.

Despite the pleas of these leaders and the community at large, the township management went ahead with the demolition of the housing settlement. WENTWORTH

In Wentworth in April 1980, residents living in an area they called “Chinatown”, “Ghetto”, “Barracks” and “Chicken Run” were fighting to be re-housed in decent conditions.

They protested that their houses were not only full of defects with leaking roofs, clogged toilets and cracked walls, but the environment had become unbearable.

Despite the deplorable conditions under which they were forced to live, the municipality wanted to increase their rentals by 60 percent. One of the residents, Mrs Rita Isaacs, said the conditions under which they were living “one big social disaster”. “This place is degrading and filthy and we cannot live in such conditions,” she told this correspondent. “No one is concerned about us. The only time anybody bothered about us is when some white and Coloured people from the Race Relations Committee came here to inspect the conditions.” MEREBANK

A short distance away in an area called Minitown in Merebank, the residents wanted to move to better houses to be built by the council but faced the dilemma of not being able to afford the new economic houses. The Merebank Civic Association, under the leadership of Mr M R Moodley, was taking up their fight at that time. During a visit to the area, Mr Moodley said Minitown was built as a transit camp and the people were told they would be provided alternative accommodation within six months.

But they would not be able to afford the new economic houses as most of them earned about R50 a month. “The situation here is critical. The authorities must do something to subsidise the housing for the underprivileged people. “Minitown was built against the wishes of the majority of the residents. The city council is duty bound to improve the situation.

“These people must be moved to decent houses but they must be charged rents that meet their approval. The government must provide as subsidy.” One of the residents, Mr Goolam Mohideen, said they were eager to move out but could not afford the new high rentals. “If people are forced to pay high rents we will then have more social problems than we have now.” Thankfully most of the residents were moved to new economic houses and Minitown was demolished shortly after this story was published on March 18 1980. Ends – subrygovender@gmail.com (May 12 2020)