Phoenix school depot probe: Truck owner says he faced community threats
A Durban truck owner who has rented space for his fleet on the grounds of a Phoenix school says he hasn’t moved his vehicles in after receiving threats from the community.
On Thursday, Public Works MEC Martin Meyer arrived for an unannounced inspection at Havenpark Secondary School.
His department had received complaints from residents about a logistics operation being run from the sports ground.
A businessman, who has asked not to be named, is one of several renting space on the grounds.
He says he will comply with any request from authorities to remove the trailers he has parked on the site.
"In terms of what's come up now since we tried to move in, we've seen a little backlash from the community. We were actually threatened. We have the SGB and the principal backing us because they are our landlord. We were threatened, they threatened they would burn our trucks."
He says he later approached the police.
"I went back to the school and the SGB and I said, 'This is it, this is the problem' and they did say to me, 'But we've given you a legal lease'. I also contacted my attorneys and my insurers, should something happen I have a problem. My equipment may be burnt or my staff threatened or whatever the case is."
"So, I said, 'I'm going to take a step back - them as my landlord that I have a lease for, need to deal with the matter'. I took the matter and I handed it back over to them. It's not my job to have done the due diligence. It was the school's job or the SGB's to make sure that that part was taken care of - whether it's allowed."
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