Neglected areas spark outcry in eThekwini communities

A protest was held outside the Phoenix Parks and Garden Department in Clayfield, in response to the poor state of public parks across the eThekwini Municipality, which has become a pressing concern for residents, who say the city’s once-pristine green spaces have fallen into alarming neglect. Cllr Rashina Singh, representing Minorities of South Africa (MOSA), has raised the alarm over the Department of Parks and Gardens’ ongoing failure to maintain these essential community spaces.

According to Singh, complaints have been mounting from residents frustrated by overgrown grass, litter-strewn grounds, broken playground equipment, and untrimmed trees that have not been attended to in over a decade.

Singh said she has repeatedly received complaints from constituents, who feel that their basic right to safe and accessible recreational spaces is being overlooked. She described the decline of local parks not only as an aesthetic issue but a broader problem affecting public safety, community well-being, and even tourism. Parks that were once filled with children, families, and outdoor enthusiasts have now become desolate areas that attract unwanted activity and pose hazards to residents.

She highlighted that these concerns are not new but have been growing steadily due to what she called a lack of urgency and accountability from the Department of Parks and Gardens.

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Community member, Roopeshlall Premlall from Community Connect added that the lack of park maintenance is taking a toll on residents’ quality of life. He believes the city is failing to prioritise spaces that serve as essential outlets for leisure, fitness, and social engagement.

The disrepair of these facilities discourages their use and contributes to a growing sense of neglect in neighbourhoods across the municipality. Residents have also raised serious questions about how resources within the Department of Parks and Gardens are being managed.

Concerns include the hiring process for 122 recent positions, allegations of sidelining local candidates in ward 48, the unexplained release of sports fields and playgrounds to developers, and the department’s failure to permanently appoint staff in acting roles. 

There is confusion around why ordinary license holders are reportedly operating trucks instead of designated drivers, and why long-standing employees are being overlooked for promotions. These internal issues, residents argue, are directly linked to the visible decline of parks throughout the city. The situation became even more critical when recent gale-force winds caused overgrown trees to collapse, damaging homes and sending residents to hospital.

This incident, residents say, underscores the very real dangers posed by years of unchecked neglect. Brian K Zuma, a resident from ward 106 in Waterloo, Verulam, called for urgent intervention, saying the consequences of poor service delivery have now reached a point where lives and property are at risk. In response to these concerns, a formal memorandum has been handed over to the Department of Parks and Gardens.

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Residents and community leaders are demanding that the department respond within 14 days and begin taking meaningful steps to address the crisis. The memorandum outlines proposals, such as increasing maintenance efforts, repairing broken infrastructure, enhancing park facilities to promote greater usage, and launching investigations into the sale of public land to private developers.

While residents acknowledge that the Department of Parks and Gardens may be facing resource constraints, they insist that the current state of the city’s parks is unacceptable and cannot continue. Public parks are vital to the social fabric of eThekwini and play a crucial role in shaping the municipality’s image as a liveable, vibrant urban centre.

Civic leaders and residents alike say they are ready to work with the city, but only if the department shows a genuine commitment to change and transparency. The eThekwini Municipality was approached to provide comments on the above matter, however, they did not respond before the time of publication.