Businesses on Greyling Street have raised concerns about the ongoing deterioration of the area, saying it has driven customers away, forced them to pay for regular cleaning, and led to increased vehicle repairs due to potholes. Greyling Street in Pietermaritzburg’s CBD is a bustling hub for hardware stores; however, little maintenance in the area has made it appear as a derelict, seldom-visited area. Kovco (Pty) Ltd manager Gavin Hetchinson said there was no better illustration of the neglect the area has suffered than the numerous excavation points dug up to repair a burst pipe and then left unattended.
Hetchinson said the bursts in the area are frequent, which leads to multiple excavation points that are left open despite multiple calls to the municipality. He said filth is prevalent in the area and that he and the other businesses in the area often have to hire people to clean up their area. “The condition of the area worries us because our customers complain about the condition of the roads and the piles of litter every time they pay us a visit,” he said.
Hetchinson said many businesses on the street continue to see strong demand from local businesses and residents, which is why they have not yet relocated. However, he said that many CBD businesses have closed or relocated, citing the area’s poor condition. Gas and General’s Arthur Bertram said he has been frequenting the area for years, as his business was formerly run by his parents, and the area is in its worst state ever.
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“There are so many pavements and roads ripped up and not repaired, which is hazardous for our vehicles and the vehicles of our customers,” he said. Bertram said he and other businesses in the area have done what they can to clean up the area by getting Keep Pietermaritzburg Clean Action Group (KPCA) to plant flowers and hire people to remove the litter strewn on the roads; however, the task has become almost futile. “We urgently need intervention by the municipality as we cannot rehabilitate the area by ourselves,” he said.
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