Category Archives: South Durban Community Environmental Alliance

SDCEA: Clairwood is not for Sale: Community Unites for the Mother of All Battles

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3 August 2012
South Durban Community Environmental Alliance Press Statement

CLAIRWOOD IS NOT FOR SALE: COMMUNITY UNITES FOR THE MOTHER OF ALL BATTLES

Clairwood, South Africa, 03 August 2012 – On 2nd August 2012 the Clairwood Ratepayers and Residents Association (CRRA) together with the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA) hosted a community meeting at the Clairwood Tamil Institute hall to discuss the proposed spatial development which includes the Dug-out Port, Link Road and Back of Port. Whilst government and industry are punting this development as having a potential increase in employment, the residents of the wider south Durban area will have to deal with many more negative impacts.

Clairwood is an area of numerous cultural and significant factors and this should not be meddled with in the name of profit and economic growth. There is no doubt that these types of developments have the potential to reach a variety of social objectives but at what expense? At the expense of innocent people having to possibly relocate and forcefully be removed once again? These developments were done with no meaningful consultation and only recently have there been public meetings held by the eThekwini Municipality in the various affected communities. This type of development needs proper solid consultation from the beginning of the decision making processes; the communities should have been involved from the start not called in at the tail to rubber stamp a decision that looks to be a fore gone conclusion.

The meeting highlighted the fear of many residents that they could lose the only roof over their heads and their small businesses. Community leaders addressed the crowd passionately as they have the interests of the community at heart.

Rishi Singh, chairperson of the CRRA, stated: “Today, we as residents of Clairwood informed the eThekwini Municipality that we will fight tooth and nail in objection to the area being rezoned from residential to industrial. The government should put people before profits not profits before people”.

Desmond D’sa from SDCEA presented the plans put out by government, saying: “The biggest challenge to the developments will be the south Durban residents who will fight. We should be equated to the struggle of the masses of people during apartheid era when many of us were products of forced removals. This issue goes beyond racial and religious divisions; we will unite for the common interest of the south Durban community.”

Alice Thompson, from Earthlife Africa, stated that the environment will be affected with the many mangroves and sandbanks going being destroyed all in the name of profit.

Newly elected chairperson of the Merebank Residents Association, Arisha Govender Ramjanek, urged residents to “stand together shoulder-to-shoulder to face this battle head on and we will succeed as one community”.

Prof. Brij Maharaj from UKZN titled his presentation a ‘David and Goliath battle’ which is not impossible to win. Maharaj cited the fight about the demolition of the early morning market by the former City Manager Dr Michael Sutcliffe (Goliath) and how the traders of the markets (David)] had overcome this adversity by resisting together. With unity, the right information and legal advice it is very winnable and we will be proactive and provide assistance for the communities in this fight. Roland Prashothum, a legal advisor to the Clairwood Resident and Ratepayers Association, spoke on how the sacrifices made by many during the fight against the apartheid government this have been undermined by the present regime. We need to go back and use the unity we had then to fight this battle for our rights.

Abdul from the Clairwood Shack Dwellers and Informal Settlement stated they will resist forced removals and will go no-where as Clairwood is their only home.

The community of Clairwood is NOT for sale. Residents of the Clairwood community have made it clear that they do not want industrial development in the Clairwood area.

Clairwood is a residential area and residents will not agree to further industrialisation of their area. This means saying no to more trucks, no to more pollution, no to more industries, no to rezoning, no to dugout port, no to link roads and no to back of port expansion. Residents have claimed that they will not be moving anywhere and they want more housing. If there are any type of development that will be taking place in Clairwood it should be for the improvement of Clairwood and not to further exploit an already marginalized community.

CONTACT:

Rishi Singh on 0825533907 or Desmond D’sa on 0314611991 and 0839826939

SDCEA: Dug-Out Port, Link Road, Back-Of–Port Will Destroy Homes

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Dug-Out Port, Link Road, Back-Of–Port Will Destroy Homes

Eighteen years have passed since we became a South Africa that is free from racism, discrimination and restriction. We have fought the fight for freedom of expression, the right to a healthy environment, the right to transparency, the fight for democracy!

Transnet has signed a R1.8 billion deal to buy the old Durban International Airport, which will be turned into a multi -million rand dug out port that’s supposed to create jobs and boost the county by 2019 (7years from now) but at what cost relocating residential homes of many families again we see profit before people.

The new dug-out port and link road will cause chaos in destroying many communities and we need to put a stop to this process. We need to unite and fight against this new development. Developments may have the opportunity to meet a variety of social objectives such as poverty, unemployment etc but when it is at the expense of the people and communities, We will say NO to the dug-out port and NO to the link road, NO to forced removals and NO to more relocations!

There are already numerous amounts of death caused by trucking, by implementing these new developments; it will only further ignite this issue. We are tired of the lies and the abuse of government and private business using their “money power” to influence decisions that affect us. Enough is enough!!! How many more communities need to relocate? How many more families must be forcefully removed from their homes? How many more generations have to live through this vicious cycle? How many more deaths must happen on our roads by trucks before we make the move to rail?

Merebank residents association together with the south Durban community environmental alliance are hosting a public meeting to discuss the new developments. Come and join us in speaking out on this issue and creating awareness in the community!

DATE: 30th July 2012
TIME: 18:00 to 20:30
VENUE: Merebank community hall

For more information contact: SDCEA coordinator: Desmond D’Sa at desmond@sdceango.co.za or cell: 0839826939 and MRA Chairperson: Arisha Govender Ramjanek atArisha@agrlaw.co.za or cell: 071 363 5180

United we need to stand, and put life before profits

HALALA FOR the Kennedy 12

HALALA FOR the Kennedy 12

We see this as a great day for the 12, their families, their movement and the struggle of the poor in South Africa. From day we as the SDCEA were suspicious of the so called charges that were brought against Abahlali comrades ,we believed that these were trumped up to destroy the movement of the poor.We as the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance wish to extend our deepest congratulations to our comrades and our brothers in the movement for their steadfast resolve to challenge this injustice since their arrest.

We will continue to stand by the poor no matter what the situation . We have heard in the courts the false evidence presented from some of the witness presented and knew this could never stand the test of the truth as it was clear that there was no evidence against any of the accused and that there had been an attempt to frame them.

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Global Day of Action on Climate Change in South Durban (Saturday, 4th Of December 2010)

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http://www.sdcea.co.za/

Join us for the Global Day of Action (4th December 2010) and Climate Change Action

While world leaders of governments meet for the Conference of the Parties (COP16) in Cancun, Mexico from the 29th of November 2010 to the 10th December 2010, people all over the world will ‘hope’ that the COP16 meeting will reach a legally binding agreement on the convention on climate change. Time is running out and an urgent just deal must be made to safeguard our climate from the dangerous impact of global warming.

On the Global Day of Action on Climate Change in South Durban (Saturday, 4th Of December 2010), we will join millions of people around the globe, demonstrating that our planet must be protected against the disastrous impacts of climate change, calling for the immediate reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the urgent implementation of adaptation measures for the already worst affected developing (poor) countries.

Join us on the 4th of December 2010 for a Picket calling for climate justice
Starting 9am at The Island View Petro-Chemical Complex, ENGEN Refinery, Shell & BP Refinery, FFS Refiners In Teakwood Road, Industrial Oleo Processes in Hime Street, Mondi Paper Mill in Merebank and the TRANSNET Pipeline at Adams Mission (11am) in South Durban!

For more information contact Desmond D’Sa 0839826939 or Bobby Peek 0824641383 or SDCEA offices 031-4611991

This event marks our regular engagements against climate change during December each year. Since 2005, on the Saturday, mid-way through the United Nations talks on climate change, held by the United Nation’s Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), we join millions around the world to make our voices heard.

Again, this year will not be different – SDCEA, groundWork, and our partners are organising a day of activism on Climate Change, to raise awareness on the political, socio-economic and environmental injustices of climate change, of which South Africa, Africa and the world face, due to the threat of increasing greenhouse gas emissions, caused mainly by industrial air pollution.

In addition, our actions will highlight SA’s contradictory position on climate change policies and measures. Our government seems to talk one thing and do another thing! We have to hold our South African government accountable for being amongst the top polluters in the world and number one in Africa. The South African government must take drastic steps against big polluters like ENGEN, SAPREF, MONDI Paper, IOP, FFS, ISLAND VIEW and Eskom and commit itself to a just transition to a sustainable energy system.

Join us in calling for a just solution to climate change!