Residents rally to restore Albert Park

ALBERT Park in Durban, went from being the “most vibrant place to be” in the 1800s, to a drug den for vagrants from the 1990s, but now it is being revived to restore it to its former glory.

- GCWALISILE KHANYILE

The area, named after Prince Albert, the consort of Queen Victoria, was officially declared a park in 1864. It was initially 385 hectares, but by 1875, portions were sold for housing.

It was a prestigious residential area for white residents since the 1800s, a leisure and entertainment destination, offering high-rise accommodation for white civil servants.

In the late 1980s, people of colour migrated to the area, overcoming challenges of racial segregation and discriminatory evictions.

Mandisa Dlamini, a retired nurse who has been an Albert Park resident for 27 years, said the area had lost its appeal and was the not same as when she bought her apartment.

"When we came here (Albert Park), we used to walk at night to have meals at any time. There was no crime, the place was well looked after. We used to have braais and lots of events that kept the place abuzz.

"The Music Centre was a church mostly used by white people, and most of us (black people) would join the services, and it was a networking session for us," Dlamini said.

She said that she was considering moving from Albert Park, but after the clean-up spearheaded by ward 32 councillor Protas Mngonyama which has resolved the issue of vagrants, she sees hope and has halted her plans.

"There is hope, because they have successfully dealt with the vagrants issue. It shows they are committed to fixing Albert Park now," Dlamini said.

She said despite the crime and grime in the area, her apartment complex was safe, with 24-hour security and cameras and no break-ins for the almost three decades she has lived there.

"We are a family in Albert Park, we look after each other," she said.