Faizel Patel – 23/10/2020
The Lenasia Business Forum (LBF) says the Jamia Masjid parking area cannot be developed for business purposes because the ownership of the land is under dispute and it also has nothing to with race.
Lenasia residents and businesses were left fuming on Wednesday after they were not consulted about a decision to relocate informal traders from the taxi rank opposite the train station in Nirvana Drive to the Jamia Masjid area in Gemsboks Street.
It’s understood Taxi Rank Project consultant Jocelyn Davis had allegedly given the go head for the traders to use the Jamia Masjid parking lot as a trading area for at least twelve months.
On Thursday former Democratic Alliance (DA) Lenasia Ward 9 councillor Kishore Badal told Radio Islam the project must “go back to the drawing board” because there are “potential risks attached to it.”
Speaking to Radio Islam, the LBF’s Mohammed Salejee says no development can take place at the Jamia Masjid without consultation and until the land dispute is resolved.
“In that interim period there can be nothing done on that property because nobody has entitlement to that property until the dispute has been resolved. So this amazed all of us, it really shocked the whole lot of us that containers were suddenly being brought and the decision was taken that the relocation of the taxi rank together with the informal traders would be moved to the Jamia parking facility.”
Salejee says the issue it not about race as purported by some informal traders who had gathered at a scheduled meeting between the LBF, the Lenasia Residents Association (LRA), taxi owners and officials to resolve the matter at the Jamia Masjid area on Thursday.
“This got nothing to do with race, creed, colour. It’s got to do with the community and the fact that the community which is all stakeholders, that business people, residents, etc. all living in that area were being affected by this move and no consultation. This is the main crux of the matter, no consultation had taken place with any of the stake holders and no proper permission had been granted for them to taken on this move.”
Salejee says the Lenasia community must stand together and has appealed on behalf of the LBF to engage in a united front to initiate investment and development in the suburb, but at the same time urging that due process must be followed.
How do you feel about the Lenasia Taxi Rank Informal Traders Relocation Project?
Listen to the interview with Mohammed Salejee
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