The Democratic Alliance (DA) has written to the department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA) requesting urgent intervention as toxic smoke and fumes continue to blanket North Durban. For nearly a week, residents in areas such as Durban North, Redhill, Effingham, Kenville, Glenhills and Glen Anil have suffered severe air pollution, with eThekwini Municipality failing to act.
The DA is calling on the urgent deployment of teams to extinguish the fires, investigate the source, and enforce environmental compliance by the city without delay.
Residents in the affected areas have reported a surge in health complaints, including runny noses, burning eyes, sore throats, and aggravated asthma and allergic reactions. While multiple localised fires have been observed, a suspected underground smouldering fire at an illegal dump site in the Gumtree Road area of Kenville is believed to be the primary source of the ongoing pollution.
The current atmospheric conditions have further intensified the situation, trapping toxic air and effectively confining residents indoors. Yet, eThekwini Municipality has failed to provide a comprehensive response or communicate a clear plan to extinguish the fires and protect public health. Instead, stating that they are unable to get a vehicle onto the site .
The Bill of Rights and South Africa’s extensive environmental legislation mandate the state to ensure a safe and healthy environment for all. This includes proactive intervention where municipalities are clearly failing in their duty of care.
We therefore call on EDTEA to:
- Deploy environmental and emergency response teams to investigate and extinguish the Gumtree fire and other contributing sources;
- Enforce compliance with air quality standards and hold responsible parties accountable;
- Provide affected communities with transparent updates and health advisories;
- Ensure long-term monitoring and prevention strategies are implemented.
The health and wellbeing of residents are at stake. A failure to act swiftly is not only a dereliction of duty, it is a violation of constitutional rights. The DA, as part of the Government of Provincial Unity (GPU) will continue to advocate for a healthy environment that benefits all South Africans.