Premier hails Phoenix 50-year journey

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KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli has hailed the Phoenix Indian community north of Durban as resilient, saying the township is a testament to the triumph of the human spirit over hardship.

Ntuli was speaking during the celebration of Phoenix’s 50th anniversary at the Phoenix Rydalvale Grounds on Saturday, where residents, community leaders and stakeholders gathered to commemorate five decades of the township’s history and development.

“Today we gather here to honour a story — a story of struggle and sacrifice, of courage and conviction. The Indian people symbolise those who refused to be defined by the hardship imposed on them,” he said.

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Despite the history of KZN’s Indian community being marked by suffering, Ntuli said the community responded to the challenges it faced by building thriving neighbourhoods and creating opportunities for future generations.

“Despite the painful history of Phoenix, they managed to triumph over hardship. They survived the cruelty of the Group Areas Act.

“They were uprooted from their homes. Communities such as this one possess something special: resilience and resistance,” he said.

One of the key achievements of the Indian community, Ntuli said, was investing in education and enterprise.

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“They built schools where dreams could flourish and businesses where livelihoods would be sustained. They turned a dumping ground into fertile ground,” he said.

Ntuli also used the anniversary celebration to call for stronger co-operation between government and communities in tackling service delivery challenges and other local concerns.

He urged residents to work closely with government structures, saying lasting solutions could only be achieved through active citizen participation, partnership and continuous engagement.