Umhlanga residents are refusing to fold on eThekwini municipality’s approval of a large-scale gaming facility in the heart of the coastal suburb despite substantial objections.
Now they are demanding full transparency on the objection register, proof that every submission was formally recorded, and a clear account of how each major concern was weighed before consent was granted.
The approval, granted earlier this month, clears the way for Star Bingo KZN, trading as Kings Gaming & Entertainment, to install more than 100 electronic bingo machines inside Umhlanga Plaza on Lagoon Drive.
While Kings Gaming & Entertainment MD Louis Chambi insists the establishment will operate as a “regulated bingo lounge” and not a casino, residents describe it as a gambling hub that doesn’t belong in Umhlanga’s main tourism strip.
“Residents are deeply disappointed that after taking the time to submit what they believed were valid and material objections, a number of those objections do not appear to be clearly reflected in the formal objector register,” said Umhlanga Residents and Ratepayers Association (URRA) spokesperson Terri MacLarty.
“Public participation only has credibility when residents can see that every submission made in good faith has been properly captured and transparently recorded,” said MacLarty.
She said the approval appeared to have proceeded despite extensive objections submitted during the formal public participation process.
“Many objectors said after lodging objections, they were never meaningfully engaged again, nor given clarity on how their concerns were assessed before the final decision. Residents argue public participation cannot simply be reduced to receipt of objections if objectors are left uncertain whether substantive concerns were properly weighed.”
“A further procedural concern remains that a number of residents who submitted objections within time do not clearly appear in the circulated objector register attached to the approval notice, creating unease about whether the full breadth of community opposition was accurately captured in the final administrative record,” said MacLarty.
We will still lodge our appeal, as will several of the big players in the area who have already contacted us in surprise, considering that URRA actually physically submitted nearly 1,000 objections in addition to objections that were sent directly.
— Terri MacLarty, URRA spokesperson
The association is mobilising bodies corporate, neighbouring owners and resident groups to lodge formal appeals.
“We will still lodge our appeal, as will several of the big players in the area who have already contacted us in surprise, considering that URRA actually physically submitted nearly 1,000 objections in addition to objections that were sent directly.”
“In addition, there is a fee of R5,839 plus VAT payable to submit an appeal. We are taking legal advice to ensure that the ratepayers are taken seriously and that the process is clear and transparent,” said MacLarty.
eThekwini municipality spokesperson Gugu Sisilana said all objections received were “duly considered, assessed and evaluated as part of a thorough and structured decision-making process”.
“It is noted that some objections were submitted via the Ratepayers Association to the North Land Use Management Office. A significant number of submissions were in a petition-style format, where a standard objection letter was completed and signed by multiple property owners.”
“While many of these submissions contained similar content, each was included in the documentation presented to the decision-maker. In such cases, the primary contact person for the petition is engaged directly, while all signatories are formally recorded and considered,” she explained.
She said the residents had 21 days from the date of notification to lodge an appeal.
Chambi said the proposal must also be understood in its proper planning context.
“It involves the utilisation of existing commercial premises within an established mixed-use node. The applicable planning framework supports a range of complementary leisure and entertainment uses within such nodes. The approved use accordingly forms part of the mix of activities contemplated for the precinct, rather than an incompatible intervention.”
He said the municipality must have considered this as their decision was informed by planning, transport, engineering services and other comments placed on record.
Chambi added that though objectors raised concerns, they did not submit independent technical evidence to challenge or counter the professional assessments before the decision-maker.
“The issues raised in objections were identified and considered under the principal themes of traffic and parking, noise and amenity, safety, social considerations, tourism and infrastructure, and were assessed within the applicable planning framework and against the technical material before the municipality,” he said.
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