Officials face wrath of Berea

06 August 2015 - 02:21 By Nivashni Nair

A bid to hold eThekwini municipal officials liable for every "questionable" town planning decision taken in the past could soon play out in the courts. Representing Durban's Berea residents, advocate Tayob Aboobaker yesterday said: "We are contemplating a class action holding municipal officials liable for every questionable decision that may have been taken in the past relating to town planning."At a meeting on Tuesday night the residents mandated their community working group, Save Our Berea, to investigate legal avenues to hold municipal officials personally liable for the approval of the "monstrous", incomplete, R60-million nine-storey block of flats at 317 Currie Road.In June, Durban High Court Judge Esther Steyn ordered the partial demolition of the building because the rezoning of the property was unlawful.However, the city and the developer, Serengeti Rise Industries, have applied for leave to appeal the ruling.Save Our Berea co-founder Kevin Dunkley yesterday said residents would not allow taxpayers' money to be wasted."The city is going to appeal, yet they admit making a mistake. And if they get sued by the developer, they will be sued for something like R60-million. Why should the taxpayer be paying that money?"We also intend to proceed against all those persons who motivated to the municipality that this development was appropriate for the Berea," he said...

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