03-07-2025
Abandoned Winklespruit electrical substation left to rot
A DERELICT electrical substation in Winklespruit along Kingsway Road, situated between Superspar Winkle and the Winklespruit taxi rank, has become a refuge for the homeless and dumping ground for the area's impoverished residents.
A concerned resident, who preferred to remain anonymous for fear of his safety, called into question how a society and its government can turn a blind eye to people living in such conditions.
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'It is appalling. I have never seen anybody live in such conditions. It begs the question, does the community not care anymore? eThekwini Municipality is creating a new facility in Lower Illovo for the Durban CBD's drug-addled and homeless people, yet they allow drugs to fester here around the Amanzimtoti area,' said the resident.
He explained that numerous attempts to contact the municipality, which owns the land on which the substation used to operate, the health inspector and even Durban Solid Waste, were to no avail.
The area's environmental health practitioner, Mendy Khanyile, has been made aware of the situation, and has assured that investigations are underway.
Ward 97 councillor André Beetge said official statistics would have it that should SA be able to consistently build 500 houses per day, it would still not suffice in eradicating homelessness.
This goes hand-in-hand with the unemployment rate for the first quarter of 2025 being at around 33%, which further increases to 43% by adding discouraged job seekers. He said that nobody wants to live in slum conditions, or be reliant on scavenging garbage for a meal or to keep warm, but questioned whether they have any options at all. Homelessness in itself is also not a crime.
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'Over the years we have bricked up, broken down or closed off such situations, but the problem doesn't go away, it merely migrates to another hollow space. The abandoned substation affords a measure of shelter to those brave enough to sleep with one eye open. While several recommendations have been made towards repurposing the station as an extension of the existing taxi rank, additional parking for the adjacent shopping centre or as an informal trader zone, all remains reliant on the electricity department's long-term planning and the possibility of using the site to facilitate increased future capacity in line with envisaged development,' Beetge said.
He added that the matter cannot be left as it is in the short term, which necessitates a funded multi-department approach that includes electricity, health, environmental health, solid waste, transport authority, town planning and metro police to clean, maintain and enforce.
'Legislation needs to be implemented rather than serving as mere guidelines,' he concluded.
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