Durban - Residents in the Durban South Basin area could be set for a new future, away from toxic chemicals and fumes, following the announcement by the eThekwini Municipality of plans to transform the area into a hub of clean energy.
The municipality has proposed an ambitious plan to transform the area into a hub of clean energy that will be safe for residents, keep the area industrialised and provide jobs for locals.
However, environmental organisations that have been at the forefront of fighting against pollution in the area, told The Mercury yesterday that they were in the dark about this plan.
Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda revealed recently at the eThekwini Energy Transformation Summit that eThekwini Council had already approved the establishment of the South Durban Energy and Chemicals Park (SDECP).
The establishment of the chemical park would mean that residents would see their neighbourhoods being transformed into liveable spaces.
Kaunda said the SDECP would include (liquefied natural gas) LNG storage infrastructure, a LNG import terminal (this includes marine bunkering and trucks), the Floating System Regasification Unit, Gas to Power that will produce electricity for eThekwini Municipality, green hydrogen for export and Biofuels.
EThekwini is home to two of the largest crude oil refineries – the SA Petroleum Refinery and the Engen Refinery. “However, both refineries are facing an uncertain future, and this has some major economic implications on the revenue generation of the city…” he said.
Sbu Ntshalintshali, of the eThekwini Municipality Energy Office, said the City would take advantage of the energy infrastructure already on site to re-purpose it for clean energy.
He said central to the decision to choose south Durban was that they wanted to avoid the de-industrialisation of the area and keep jobs, adding that it had long suffered from exposure to chemicals and the planned change would be welcomed by the residents.
However, environmental organisations expressed concerns, saying it was the first they had heard of the plan.
Bobby Peek of GroundWork, a nonprofit environmental justice service and developmental organisation, said: “We have not been consulted on anything, we would like to engage with the City on the plans of energy and it has to engage in a public consultation process.”
Desmond D’Sa of the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance said they had not been engaged.
“We want meaningful and constructive discussions which allow for transparent and open democracy for the citizens of Durban,” said D’Sa.
“(If the feeling is) that local communities do not need to be consulted and instead the top-down approach is taken, it’s an indictment. It is an approach that says we must listen to our politicians rather than one where we must be heard. That is not consultation, but it is something that is prepared and developed elsewhere and they want the community to rubber-stamp it. We reject this attitude with the contempt it deserves,” he said.