Durban residents consider legal action over controversial cellphone masts
Durban residents are up in arms over the erection of dozens of cellphone masts they believe were built illegally across the city.
They claim MTN and eThekwini did not follow proper procedure when putting up the masts and are now considering legal action.
A meeting was held in Glenwood this week, where community members raised concerns over what they believe is the flouting of land use and spatial planning regulations, as well as possible health risks.
The Durban Anti-Cellmast Alliance's Niki Moore says eThekwini and MTN representatives were meant to attend the meeting but didn't pitch up.
"It looks like going to court is the only option we have left because we have tried to get answers out of the city, we have tried to get answers out of MTN. All we ever get are evasions and clear untruths," said Moore.
MTN's Jacqui O'Sullivan says the partnership with eThekwini began when the City started erecting camera poles ahead of the 2010 Soccer World Cup.
O'Sullivan says MTN asked if it could lease space on the poles for their masts.
She says the problem arose when eThekwini did not put up the cameras, even after they MTN donated some.
She says eThekwini then told MTN it needed to go through a land use management process.
A meeting was held in Glenwood this week, where community members raised concerns over what they believe is the flouting of land use and spatial planning regulations, as well as possible health risks.
The Durban Anti-Cellmast Alliance's Niki Moore says eThekwini and MTN representatives were meant to attend the meeting but didn't pitch up.
"It looks like going to court is the only option we have left because we have tried to get answers out of the city, we have tried to get answers out of MTN. All we ever get are evasions and clear untruths," said Moore.
MTN's Jacqui O'Sullivan says the partnership with eThekwini began when the City started erecting camera poles ahead of the 2010 Soccer World Cup.
O'Sullivan says MTN asked if it could lease space on the poles for their masts.
She says the problem arose when eThekwini did not put up the cameras, even after they MTN donated some.
She says eThekwini then told MTN it needed to go through a land use management process.
eThekwini says all poles currently being used by MTN have been approved by the city.
It says 40 new poles, which are not operational, are not compliant. The municipality says steps are being taken to sort this out.
It says 40 new poles, which are not operational, are not compliant. The municipality says steps are being taken to sort this out.
See eThekwini's full response below:
