Public DJ battles, drunken brawls and supercar races have turned Umhlanga, north of Durban, into the “Wild West”, according to locals.
Business and residential communities say a lack of law enforcement has seen the entertainment strip from Oceans Mall to Chartwell Drive become a playground for upmarket drug peddlers and gun-toting patrons.
They say calls to the eThekwini municipality to boost the police's presence and enforce by-laws to protect the city’s flagship tourism hub and ensure the safety of residents and visitors have failed.
The severe lack of visible policing by metro police and SAPS has resulted in lawlessness, with firearms flaunted, drugs openly peddled, restaurants turned into nightclubs, unregulated ‘DJ battles’ raging unchecked, and a free-for-all racetrack on the roads
— Terri MacLarty, chair of the Umhlanga Ratepayers and Residents Association
These concerns have been prompted by a rising number of illegal activities in Umhlanga, including a violent brawl outside Oceans Mall two weeks ago which resulted in a number of patrons sustaining injuries.
On Friday, 24 people were arrested in a multidisciplinary law enforcement operation for a range of offences, including drunk driving.
Ward 35 councillor Bradley Singh described the latest incident as a part of a continuing pattern of “unchecked criminal activities” in the area due to reduced policing. “What was once the jewel of KZN’s tourism economy is fast becoming a modern-day Wild West,” he said.
“The severe lack of visible policing by metro police and SAPS has resulted in lawlessness, with firearms flaunted, drugs openly peddled, restaurants turned into nightclubs, unregulated ‘DJ battles’ raging unchecked, and a free-for-all racetrack on the roads.”
Terri MacLarty, chair of the Umhlanga Ratepayers and Residents Association, said the current police deployment did not meet their safety needs.
“We were grateful when metro police moved a satellite to Prestondale and they were offered an office in the village. However, they have verbally confirmed that they do not have enough capacity to serve the area 24/7. We have been told that the metro capacity serving Umhlanga is the same as 20 years ago, before major developments took place,” she said.
“We have had complaints from residents and holidaymakers for over a year — luxury hotel visitors feeling unsafe to walk into the village and residents in residential blocks who are desperate to sell their homes as they cannot get any sleep.
“The residents are all using private security. We call for more arrests and impoundments on a regular basis to curb this trend in Umhlanga.”
Duncan Heafield, chair of the Umhlanga Tourism Association, said hotels, restaurants, and guest houses “increasingly hear concerns from visitors, with some bookings affected. Many have had to rely on private security to fill the gap left by reduced policing, but that cannot replace sustained law enforcement that tourists expect to see.”
Heafield said there was inconsistent enforcement of by-laws by the Durban metro police around noise, trading and venues in the area during peak hours.
“That again highlights the risks of not regulating the licences for after-midnight trading establishments. It creates unfairness for businesses that are compliant, and it is fuelling perceptions of lawlessness in the area,” he said.
A manager in one of the restaurants at Oceans Mall said: “We are relying more on the urban improvement precinct than the police here because they are the only ones who are consistently visible. Also, there are serious concerns with the regulation of some trading establishments.”
MacLarty said they have also witnessed the irregular enforcement of by-laws regarding supercars that race from 7pm until the early hours, predominantly at weekends.
She said a meeting with eThekwini mayor Cyril Xaba is planned.
Municipal spokesperson Gugu Sisilana said eThekwini has adequate policing providing round-the-clock services to all communities.
She noted, however, that the violent incident in Umhlanga occurred when several metro police members booked off sick on the same day. “The matter is currently under internal investigation to establish the cause,” she said.
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