Izwi - Cato Manor Community Newspaper

Pg 7

April 2002

Vol.51
June 2002

Sponsored by the
European Union

Published by the Cato Manor
Development Association

Mazwi’s Diary
Land Use Control

The development of Cato Manor has resulted in many people getting and owning houses for the first time. Clearly owning your own home is a benefit in that it provides a secure place to live.

Home ownership brings responsibilities as well. How we use our houses can affect our neighbours and even a wider area. To avoid situations which may create conflict the Municipal Council imposes rules (called by-laws) on what people may do on or with their property. This series of articles looks at theses rules and explains what they hope to achieve.

Land Use
The way cities control what people may or may not do with their land is through Town Planning Schemes. These set out zones (areas) for each land use and control what uses are permitted in each zone.

The main reason for doing this is to separate uses which do not work well when side by side. For example a factory that makes a lot of smoke is not a desirable neighbour. So industrial uses are separated from residential areas where people live. In the past most town planning schemes tried to separate all work from home and attempted to have single use zones over large areas. This has now been recognised as being undesirable and more mixed use is being promoted.

Problems also arise when people work or run businesses from home. The case of "Home Taverns" is one that the Municipal Council is considering now. The issue is one of balancing the need of one person to earn a living with the "costs" that activity imposes on others. The costs are not financial but are about negative effects such as noise, drunkenness and health matters.

But like most things in life the regulation of land use should only be necessary when neighbourliness fails. Being neighbourly means treating your neighbour with the same respect you hope he shows you. It means acting responsibly. Thus a tavern owner could operate without disturbing his/her neighbours by reducing the volume of the music (particularly as it gets later) and by not serving someone who has clearly had enough to drink.

Responsible behaviour is unfortunately not always the rule so it is comforting to know that there may be a legal remedy to resolve such problems.

This article was written by Adrian Masson, CMDA’s Spatial Planning Manager.

A new home
for the needy

Anton van der Meulen and colleagues with some
of the children who are already enjoying the benefits
of the Save-a-Child house in Westville.

Save-a-child, a non profit organisation based in Westville, has made a timely intervention in the lives of the people of Chesterville and surrounding communities by providing sanctuary to children in need of crisis care. Children in need will now be placed in a ‘safe and stable home’ until suitable care is found.

For children to benefit, they will have to be referred by a social worker.

The organisation aims to help orphans, abused and homeless children by helping to build coping mechanisms like linking the caregiver with support structures such as social welfare, community workers, police, church, schools, creches, hospice, medical care, disabled people’s support group, child support grants. Pinetown Child and Welfare has already undertaken to provide primary social welfare support.

The Chesterville Residents Association has welcomed the intervention saying that it would make a difference in the traditionally under privilege communities which lack adequate facilities to cater for the needy and the homeless. The unemployment rate is adding to the severe pressures on family and children.

First on the list of children to receive support are children who find themselves orphaned as a result of their parents dying of HIV/AIDS. These children will have the opportunity of care in a safe and stable environment until suitable long-term care is found.

Volunteers who are concerned enough to provide support for children and families in distressed will be trained.

Save-a child is an affiliate of the Westville Affiliate Christian Fellowship which has had a relationship with neighbouring Chesterville since the late 1980s. In the past the Westville Christian Association has initiated projects aimed at supporting and developing the people of Chesterville such as feeding schemes, adult literacy training, income generating projects, rape crisis centre as well as HIV/AIDS education.

For further details please contact Anthony van der Muelen on 266 2288 or 083 233 2924.

Victims of child abuse growing at an alarming rate!

As I was going around snooping for interesting developments in our communities I stumbled across a situation in one of the schools in Cato Manor. A young girl was crying in the staff room. Further enquiries revealed that the girl was another victim of abuse.

According to the teachers in the various schools in the area the number of children being sexually molested is growing day by day. Parents seem to be powerless because more often than not they do not know how to respond. The best they do to deal with the matter is to send the child away to the rural areas and hush the matter up.

In Cato Crest a man in his early sixties is on trail for sexually molesting a 4-year-old child who was left by her parents under his care.

Fortunately efforts to protect children from sexual abuse are being intensified. The Durban Children Society, a Department of Welfare subsidiary has set up a desk at Ekuphileni Clinic to give counselling to victims. For now the desk is open only on Tuesdays from 8h00 am to 13h00. A child protection week is also on the cards to create community awareness about the subject.

Many a child has suffered without parents noticing that something is wrong with their children until it is too late.
Here are some of the things to look-out for:-

Wounds and scratches that the child is reluctant to reveal.
When a child displays aggression towards other children.
When a child becomes an introvert and refuses to interact with other children.
If a child expresses discomfort in her private parts when she passes urine.
A child displaying clumsiness and shabbiness.

Steps to follow to ensure that your child is protected:-

Ensure that your kids play in a safe environment where they can be monitored by adults.
Desist from sending young children to do your shopping at your neighbourhood spaza.
Adults who befriend children should be treated with caution.
Treat all strangers with caution.
Discourage children from using bushy paths.
Encourage your children to talk about their daily unpleasant encounters.
Be friendly towards your children and encourage discussion.
Warn them against playing with sharp objects and used injections.
Keep all medication, matches, ropes etc away from the children.
What to do when you suspect that your child or your neighbour’s child is being abused
Report the case at your nearest police station.
Seek help from the childline on 303 2222.
Speak to a social worker from the Durban Children’s Society on 207 5557/8.
Cato Manor Police 203 7358.
Child Emergency Services 0800 123 321.
Life Line 312 2323.
Speak to the community health workers who are stationed at the Wiggins MPC hall.
Children who are victims of child abuse are encouraged to use the above phone numbers

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