Durban — The Merebank Community Foundation (MCF) is hoping for a good turn-out on Wednesday to discuss the proposal that Merebank should fall under one municipal ward.
The meeting will be a platform for NGOs, religious organisations and sporting bodies to discuss the municipal ward demarcation issue. The foundation is expected to meet the Demarcation Board next Friday.
The foundation proposes that the board create a ward for the community or place it under ward 68. The MCF has started a petition to have Merebank placed under one ward. The foundation’s slogan is “One Merebank, One Ward, One Voice”.
During the last demarcation hearing ahead of the 2021 local elections, Merebank was divided into two with China Town and the Navy on the right (north-west side) of the N2 (M4)... on the left (south-east) of the N2 (M4) freeway remained under ward 68.
Speaking to the Daily News on Sunday, the foundation’s chairperson, Premilla Deonath, said the foundation has started collecting signatures that will support the campaign at the public hearings by the board in the next two weeks. She said the board has invited people to hear its views on the demarcation of their areas. Deonath called on all Merebank residents to sign the petition in support of the call to have one Merebank.
“We want one Merebank. We are one community, so we do not understand why we were divided. Merebank is big enough to have its own ward. Secondly, we have challenges which we think we can tackle well if we all fall under one ward,” said Deonath.
She said the section on the right (north-west) of the M4, which includes China Town and the Navy is neglected and missing things that are being organised at ward 68. Deonath said that at one stage a sporting event was organised for the Merebank community, but people from China Town and the Navy were turned away because the event was only for ward 68 people.
Ward 75 also incorporates parts of Lamontville, Wema hostels and parts of Mobeni, while ward 68 includes Jacobs, Wentworth and parts of the Bluff.
Deonath said another reason for the call was the issue of service delivery, as residents feel they are not being attended to because the ward councillor is from Lamontville and is focusing on Lamontville issues.
Deonath claimed that since the 2021 local government elections, the councillor has never held a meeting with the people of China Town and the Navy to hear their concerns, “probably because there were many other challenges he was dealing with in Lamontville and other areas”.
eThekwini Municipality referred the matter to the Demarcation Board. The board’s spokesperson, Barileng Dichabe, confirmed the board will be in the province to conduct awareness campaigns about applying for a ward.
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Daily News