Residents of Sydenham took to the streets on Monday, July 13, in a show of defiance against the alleged planned conversion of a residential building on Randles Road into student accommodation, warning that the suburb is nearing breaking point.

Waving placards and chanting slogans outside the Salamat residential flats, residents, community leaders and ward 31 councillor, Remona McKenzie, demanded that the proposed development be halted until all legal planning processes, including public participation and municipal approval, have been followed.

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The protest comes amid growing fears that yet another student residence will place unbearable pressure on Sydenham’s already fragile infrastructure while forcing long-term tenants from their homes.

Chairperson of the Sydenham Ratepayers Association, Carl Lorton, said the community was not opposed to students but strongly opposed to what he described as the unchecked conversion of residential buildings without adequate planning.

“The owners want to evict residents, who have lived in the building for years. They need special permission from the municipality’s Town Planning Department to convert the building into student accommodation, and as far as we know, that approval has not been granted,” he said.

Lorton warned that the suburb is already battling recurring electricity outages, water shortages, sanitation failures and illegal dumping.

“If this development is allowed to proceed, it will place even greater strain on infrastructure that is already struggling. The community is being set up for failure,” he said.

He also expressed concern that many property owners converting buildings into student accommodation do not live in the area and are insulated from the consequences.

He added, “They are not here when students misbehave, protest or disrespect elderly residents. There are already student residences in St Theresa’s Road and Randles Road. Sydenham simply cannot take any more.”

Lorton said the association is preparing a petition to be submitted to the Town Planning Department, calling for the proposal to be rejected.

Residents living in the building say they are facing possible displacement, with some claiming they have nowhere else to go should the conversion proceed.

A representative of the company managing the property, who asked not to be identified, confirmed that renovations are currently underway but said no final decision had been made regarding the building’s conversion into student accommodation.

The dispute echoes similar concerns raised last year in Reservoir Hills, where residents accused the eThekwini Municipality of allowing a rapid increase in student accommodation without upgrading infrastructure to cope with higher population densities.

Those developments, residents argued, resulted in worsening water interruptions, electricity failures, sewer overflows and increased traffic congestion.

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Community leaders fear Sydenham could face the same fate if developments continue without proper planning and consultation.

Ward councillor, Remona McKenzie, has backed residents’ calls for transparency, insisting that developers must comply with all statutory planning requirements before any changes are approved.