After nearly two decades without street names, the Parkgate community, north of Durban, is set to receive new names inspired by fruits.

Residents had to rely on a six-digit code on Google Maps to be used as a temporary street name and Tottenham Road, which leads to an older housing suburb of Riet River.

During a recent council meeting, new road names featuring a fruit theme were officially approved. These names include:

•  Paw Paw
•  Black Cherry
•  Lime
• Marula
• UMnyezane
• Umganu
• Umsilinga 
• Umsuzwane
• Silk cotton

Three residents and Ward 102 committee members, Sibusiso Tembe, Sabelo Zondi, and Refuwe Tsukulu, explained that the community had gone through themes that would make suitable road names, including birds, trees, plants, and politicians.

After an extensive community consultation and submissions to municipal management, they are now waiting for the names to be installed in the area to receive services. 

Tsukulu said often residents had direct emergency services by using landmarks or by walking to the main road to meet an ambulance or police. 

“A house fire stands out for me where the fire department was delayed. They could not find the road. In this naming process, we left out names of politicians because the process would have taken a long time with all the bureaucracy,” he said. 

Zondi explained that they could not get groceries or parcels delivered to their homes. He said most residents gave the address of the local primary school so that they could collect delivery parcels.

“It feels uncomfortable standing outside someone else’s house to collect a parcel,” he said. 

 Speaking at a recent council meeting, eThekwini Ward 102 councillor Rory Macpherson explained that he inherited an area with poor service delivery since becoming a councillor in 2021.

He said that during one of the various community interactions, it was brought to the DA’s attention that Parkgate low-cost homes had no street names, despite this suburb having been built 30 years ago.

Macpherson said residents struggled to provide quick, easy-to-find directions to emergency services such as the police, fire, and medical. 

“It was a rude awakening. One of our priorities was to then begin the process of bringing community leaders and political adversaries together with one simple goal in mind, and that was to get an approved list of street names,” he explained.

Macpherson said that after community consultations, 53 street names were approved, which he said will now bring about dignity to the residents and visitors of Parkgate. 

“The sensible outcome is that these are names of trees and fruits, with many translated into the indigenous language easily recognisable to all. The support of municipal officials and the wonderful ward committee members of Ward 102 hugely assisted in making this all a reality.

“It is remarkable that when one depoliticises a matter such as this, the winners without doubt are the residents and property owners starved of even the most basic of service delivery,” he said. 

In its council report, the municipality’s Governance and Human Resource Committee stated that the requirements were met and that the naming process is significant for supporting urban planning, making emergency services and navigation effortless, and promoting safety and security. 

zainul.dawood@inl.co.za

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