Durban south community hands over memorandum to Engen

About 300 locals took part in a protest today and handed over a memorandum.

It followed last week's explosion at the company's refinery in Wentworth that rocked the area and renewed residents' calls for.

It left several people injured - including a woman and two children whose nearby flat caught alight due to the blast. 

Activist Desmond D'Sa of the South Durban Environmental Alliances their demands is clear. " 

"One is that they must meet with the community and the community centres in South Durban, We are saying to them is that they must set up immediately a fund to deal with the children that were injured." 

READ:  Durban South community protest outside Engen refinery

D'sa says they need to set up a fund to deal with all the structures of peoples homes that have been damaged. 

"The third issue is that we want them to meet with us and the government and come up with a strategic plan to move away, seeing that they say that they are closing. We want them to close but we are worried that if they close, they are going to run away," he adds. 

This woman who's now in her 50s says living near the refinery all her life has compromised her health...

"The doctors also told me the same thing, where you are living, is there a lot of pollution because you are here constantly, almost every month, you are at the doctors." 

"I had to explain to them that I am in a polluted environment, we have the oil refinery directly below us as in literally across the road so this is the reason. I had to move out and now I live in Sydenham," she says.