Durban — The IFP has vowed to clear Albert Park of drug addicts and return the Point Road (Mahatma Gandhi Road) precinct to its former glory after it has taken power from the ANC in eThekwini.
Outlining the party’s plan “ready to govern” in an exclusive interview with Daily News editor Ayanda Mdluli, party president Velenkosini Hlabisa said he did not understand why eThekwini Municipality was failing to remove the vagrants terrorising motorists and pedestrians walking to and from work in that area.
Hlabisa said during his recent visit to the area he was shocked to see women bathing with dirty water in front of men and vowed that the IFP would clear the place within a reasonable space of time after taking over from the ANC.
The park, adjacent to the M4 South Coast highway bridge, has been home to homeless people who were mainly drug addicts running away from their respective homes after allegedly stealing from their communities.
Although Metro police were now manning the area with a static van and two officers, it said the responsibility lay with Social Development which was responsible for such people.
Turning to the once-popular Point Road precinct which was now dilapidated, the IFP leader said his party would restore the area to its former glory.
He said he was shocked to see that the area had been taken over by foreigners and had deteriorated. Hlabisa said when he visited the area recently he was disappointed that the once-popular and historic The Wheel Mall, which was a drawcard for locals and tourists, was no longer in existence and was now run by a Chinese company.
As a person from Hlabisa village in north-east of KwaZulu-Natal, Hlabisa said whenever he was in Durban he used to hang out and shop at The Wheel Mall. He vowed to restore the mall to its former state when the IFP took the reins from the ANC. Fixing the area and driving out drug lords would be among the IFP’s priorities, he said.
“The Wheel Mall was my favourite place whenever I was in Durban. During my recent visit to the area, I asked people what happened to The Wheel Mall and was told it had long been taken over by a Chinese company.
“I was disappointed that the area was in such a bad state, but once we take over we will bring back the entire Point Road precinct to its former glory,” said Hlabisa.
Point Road is now known as Mahatma Gandhi Road.
The IFP leader said his party would ensure that police stations were adequately resourced and the public’s complaints that there were not enough vans at stations would be a thing of the past under an IFP-led government.
The IFP has filed a motion of no confidence in a bid to dethrone mayor Mxolisi Kaunda. The motion was filed last month and was awaiting a date from the speaker, Thabani Nyawose.
The motion was sparked by the revelation that the City had failed to spend a R1.9 billion infrastructure grant, which was taken back by the National Treasury.
The Treasury has since returned R1.6bn, but the IFP said it would continue with its motion because of a string of failures attributed to Kaunda.
ANC provincial spokesperson Mafika Mndebele had previously dared the IFP to bring its motion, vowing that the ANC would crush any attempts by the opposition to remove it from power.
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Daily News