The eThekwini Municipality
Clairwood residents are demanding better management of the transition of the area towards becoming an industrial hub, warning that the chaotic manner has made the area uninhabitable, hostile, and a threat to their lives. They state that the influx of industrial businesses has caused extensive damage to infrastructure, such as roads, and has spurred on illegal activities whereby industrial businesses are operating without proper rezoning.
Clairwood residents, who took the eThekwini Municipality to court over their long-standing concerns over the rapid industrialisation of the area, are waiting for the High Court's judgment after the matter was argued last week. The residents and the municipality have been embroiled in a long-running legal battle over the rezoning of the area from residential to industrial. The ratepayers took the municipality to court, arguing that it is mismanaging the process and has created a situation where people are illegally using their residential land for industrial businesses without permission.
The community, assisted by the Legal Resources Centre (LRC), brought the case against the city and various business owners to court over the use of the area for industrial purposes. The ratepayers and the LRC confirmed that the matter was heard on July 14 at the Durban High Court and that judgment was reserved.
