Citizens, be careful when dealing with this Town Planning department.
Frightening, unnerving and disgraceful dealings with the eThekwini Town Planning department in Pinetown KZN. I publish this because i do not want the same harrowing experience to happen to other citizens in my area of the Western Suburbs in the Durban metropolitan eThekwini Municipality.  
Here is my experience with building alterations converting the playroom into a Grannies cottage for my retirement. 
A.  The inspector from this town planning department would not proceed with the plans approval because the walls he said are 4 mm to thin!  It sounded to me like the inspector was asking for a "handout".  I took my complaint to the Westville police and Lt. Colonel Sikhsana said that they had received a number of corruption complaints with regards to this particular inspector. 
B. Dealing with the "Plans Department" felt like walking into a brick wall. They stonewalled everything i tried to do. It felt like this local government Town Planning department was working in unison to extort cash from me. When i asked the "Plans Examiner" for help with the problems i was having his answer to me was  "Ow, that is another kettle of fish" or "that is another can of worms" he tells me.  All his answers were vague and i could not understand what he said.  It delay my project, it delayed the  architect and turned things into a nightmare for all the citizens concerned. 
C. A 3rd inspector. I could not get willing, useful corporation or any worthwhile assistance from this rude, abrasive public servant who drives one of the most expensive imported, luxury German sedan sports car that is completely out of sync with his position of a government public servant. We had a verbal altercation about the size of his luxury motor car he drives. That night someone come to my home and placed a 2 Liter plastic bottle with a rock on top that looked like an IED improvised explosive device at my driveway entrance.  I complained to the department manager Mrs Vivegi Chetty and we had a meeting, but have not heard back with regards to any improvements in this department.