The community of Schoolside in Caneside, Phoenix, are up in arms after rumours of a tavern opening in the area began to circulate on social media, sparking fears that it will give rise to drugs, prostitution, alcohol abuse, crime, violence, noise pollution, and pose a risk for learners who attend a nearby primary school.
A resident of the area, who spoke on the basis of anonymity, said: “We attended a meeting with the owner last Wednesday where he said he is not opening up a tavern but a restaurant with a bar. He further stated that even if the bar doesn’t open up, he will still allow people to bring in their own alcohol.” The resident said their main concern is that alcohol will either be sold or brought to the premises “which means that people will be intoxicated at the end of the day”, causing chaos. “This will cause a major public disturbance in the area and the fact that there’s no parking space means that patrons will be forced to park their vehicles on the roadside or block people’s driveways. Most importantly, we can’t ignore that there’s a school that’s only a few meters away from the site. Children are up and down this road all the time, if a tavern comes up, the road will no longer be safe for them to use to and from school,” said the irate resident.
She added: “We are thinking about the affects of this tavern in our community in the long run. We all know what happens when people are intoxicated, they cannot control their behaviour so fights and shoot-outs are inevitable. When this starts to happen, innocent lives will be put in danger. The safety of our loved ones is of paramount importance, with that being said, we do not want a tavern in this area.” Another resident said: “We refuse to have a tavern in our area, we know the kind of problems other areas with taverns are experiencing and we don’t want that in this community. The tavern at the heart of Caneside will attract drugs, various criminal elements contributing to the many social ills already endured by the community of Phoenix. We are not targeting the owner but the business establishment that he’s opening, if he opens any other type of business, then he has our full support.”
Ward Councillor, Maggie Johnson said the matter has been brought to her attention by outraged residents. She said Khahil Mohamed of Springlight Security purchased a residential property, on Canehaven Drive and the corner of School Crescent, and converted it into a commercial property. “It is alleged that a butchery/braai spot is opening downstairs while upstairs will be a restaurant, with a barbecue place where there will be the sale of alcohol. A special consent application is being made. The community is outraged that a once quiet residential area will become a busy congested area with accompanying social ills such as loud music, public nuisance etc. Furthermore, there is no parking facility on the premises itself. This will encourage parking on the roadside and cause congestion problems. They are vehemently opposed to this and a petition drive is underway,” said Cllr Johnson.
She said when the matter was brought to her attention, she immediately contacted the relevant departments, including the Liquor Board and the school governing body. “In terms of the rules and regulations pertaining to opening of a tavern, it has to be 500 meters or more away from an educational institution, recreational facility or religious organisation. The owner has made an application to council for relaxation from residential to commercial and has submitted applications to the Liquor Board as well as SAPS. The distance from Northview Primary School and this building is around 200 metres and therefore does not meet the criteria. I have submitted an objection letter to the Liquor Board for various reasons, I stand fully behind the community and believe that the granting of a tavern license should be denied. I’m currently sending objection forms to residents who wish to object to the tavern via email,” added Cllr Johnson.
Speaking to the Phoenix Tabloid, Khalil Mohamed said a tavern was supposed to open up initially, however after experiencing issues with residents and the Liquor Board, he has decided to refrain from opening up a tavern. He maintained that notices had been given out and posted at the building site regarding the tavern and there were no objections. He said: “The residents of Schoolside had no issue regarding the tavern, however, residents from other roads who are further away had problems with the initial business plan. I had applied for an on site consumption liquor license however we have stopped the whole process and won’t be going forward with it, due to the building being so close to a primary school. I have now decided to open up an office for my private security company. The building is currently empty and I am looking to open our offices soon. Residents should be concerned about the drug dens in the area rather than me trying to open up a legitimate business.”
