Durban — Since the April 2022 floods, residents of Bonela were told there were no municipal trucks to clear the roads of sand because they were busy in other Durban areas.
Heavy rains caused sand embankments to collapse on to Blinkbonnie, Westmeath and Saintfield roads in Bonela, preventing motorists from using these roads.
Concerned residents hired trucks to remove sand on Blinkbonnie Road and clear parts of Westmeath and opened one lane on Saintfield Road in April.
Durban North councillor Shontel de Boer found three municipal trucks removing sand from a private property in Orange Grove on September 27.
De Boer said residents in Durban North were concerned about this. She questioned municipal officials and was told “this was official council business as the department was removing sand for their use from a private residence after the owner offered the sand. A job number was also allocated to it.”
When the Daily News asked why trucks were being used in Durban North but nothing was being done to clear Saintfield Road, eThekwini Municipality spokesperson Msawakhe Mayisela said the department had no knowledge of any teams working in Durban North.
“The work the department was aware of was on Old North Coast Road. Kindly provide us with registration numbers so we can investigate further,” Mayisela said.
On Tuesday, a municipal truck arrived to clear Saintfield Road of sand.
eThekwini ward councillor Warren Burne said the sand came from the collapse of the banks between the houses in Newbliss Gardens and the houses in Saintfield Road.
“Soon after the April 2022 rains, the sand was gathered into piles on Saintfield Road. I think that that was done by private individuals using private equipment paid for by local businessmen,” Burne said.
Burne said this issue was included in the consolidated lists of storm-damaged infrastructure and properties which he had updated and submitted to the municipality regularly since the floods.
Daily News