Neglected park a haven for criminality

The Citizen

12-06-2025

THE recently passed eThekwini Municipality budget has raised questions among the residents, with some community members saying it fails to address the real issues affecting people at grassroots level.
Residents in Merebank are calling for the revival of Sialkot Park, which has been neglected for over seven years. The community continue to pressure eThekwini Municipality to restore the once-vibrant public space.
For the 2025/26 financial year, eThekwini Municipality was allocated a total budget of R70.9b, comprising an operating budget of R63.6b and a capital budget of R7.3b. Despite the sizable allocation, residents feel their concerns remain overlooked.
To read more on the budget speech, click here.
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Resident Satchu Annamalai said the Merebank community has long tried to maintain the park themselves, but their efforts have limitations.
'We are trying to put a plan together that includes eThekwini Municipality. We've had numerous engagements with city officials, and they promised to discuss the matter further with us,' said Annamalai.
'We've even raised funds to pay people to cut the overgrown grass, but residents cannot do everything on their own. We need regular maintenance to keep the park from becoming a haven for criminals,' he said.
Annamalai noted that the community's pleas stem from ongoing criminal activities in and around the park, which has become a hiding spot for suspects and a hotspot for illegal activity.
DA PR councillor, Sithembiso Ngema, confirmed that the community had expressed interest in taking over maintenance of the park if the municipality approved it. However, recent developments have caused further frustration.
'This park used to host weddings and parties. The community still sees it as a valuable space, regardless of who owns the land. Now it has become a refuge for criminals. It's difficult for security companies to chase suspects through the overgrowth,' said Ngema.
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Ngema drew parallels to the nearby Himalaya sports grounds, where the community eventually took matters into their own hands.
He expressed disappointment with the municipality's recently approved budget, claiming it fails to address critical service delivery needs in areas like Merebank and Lamontville.
'We still have ongoing sewer spillages and severe water leaks, and yet the budget does not address these issues. The DA voted against the eThekwini budget because it doesn't meet the real needs of our communities,' he said.
During the recent budget speech, the mayor of eThekwini Municipality, Cyril Xaba, outlined the city's spending priorities, placing emphasis on infrastructure rehabilitation and service delivery.
'The main focus of the budget is the replacement and rehabilitation of infrastructure to ensure efficient and effective service delivery. Our capital budget has been increased by 10.3% to R7.3b to expand, replace, and upgrade infrastructure. A further 7% (R4.3b) of the operating budget has been allocated to repairs and maintenance,' said Xaba.
He added that a new Water and Sanitation Turnaround Strategy has been approved by both the council and National Treasury.
'We've also met all submission deadlines related to institutional, governance, and management capacity. Our investment plan and governance roadmap have also received Treasury approval,' said Xaba.
Despite these commitments, residents of Merebank said they remain sceptical and committed to advocating for change.
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