DURBAN - FED-UP Merebank residents are expected to stage a placard demonstration on Saturday, after an increase in crime believed to be linked to scrapyards in residential areas.
The Merewest Community Foundation’s demonstration demands the shut down of all scrapyards in its precinct.
In recent months, the foundation said it had received more than a 100 complaints from residents about the presence of scrapyards in residential areas.
It was alleged that this was contributing to the increase of crime such as theft of copper pipes, brass prayer goods and other belongings which are suspected of being sold to the dealerships.
More than 500 people have signed the petition to close down scrapyards, according to the chairperson of Merewest Community Foundation and the convener of the protest, Premilla Deonath.
She said the number of signatures was expected to increase as they were still collecting petitions. Deonath added that the rapid increase of crime in the area was a call for action.
“Scrapyards that are in business premises in industrial areas will not affect us as they are properly managed. However, in a residential area it impacts very seriously on us. Most of the things stolen end up with scrap dealers. Residents lose water until pipes are repaired. One house had their copper pipes stolen twice in one day and that cannot be right,” she said.
The residents of Ninapur Place, Chinatown, Navy, Sailkot Crescent and Firozepur Road, in their memorandum for the attention of the mayor, Durban Metro, the land invasion unit, the ANC ward 75 councillor, the provincial commissioner, the eThekwini health department, Wentworth SAPS and the environmental health department, said that representatives had tried on several occasions to talk to scrapyard owners, appealing to them not to continue conducting their business in the area. However, this was in vain.
“We have also approached several law enforcement agencies, including SAPS, all to no avail. We have proof of the various letters, emails and meetings which residents held with officials.
“We have been lied to and deceived by the officers who promised to act, but did nothing. Nothing has changed and no action was taken, despite us providing proof of our claims.
“The frustration of residents has reached a peak. It is therefore as a last resort that we opted for peaceful protest action and we now turn to you for help. The petitions signed by residents overwhelmingly prove that residents do not want these scrapyards to operate within our residential area,” reads the memorandum.
Some of the demands listed were for investigations to check whether the scrapyards have legitimate licences, and to shut them down should the requirements not be met.
SAPS and metro police were expected to collect the memorandum at the protest point in the area.
DAILY NEWS