‘Hijacked’, demolished Centurion house still an eyesore

To date, no building has taken place on the corner of Saxby Avenue and Ruimte Road, once home to an unknown number of homeless people.

Therefore there is no contravention of the national building regulations, according to the Tshwane metro.

In 2018, Centurion Rekord reported that the house in question was occupied by homeless people, much to the consternation of locals, who complained it had become a health hazard.

Later, the house was demolished after it was gutted by a fire believed to have been started by those who stayed there illegally.

According to local ward councillor Cindy Billson, the property was supposed to have been auctioned off in October and November last year.

“It was withdrawn on the day of the auction for unknown reasons,” said Billson, adding she had asked for a breakdown of what the owner still owed the metro.

“It is currently being investigated,” she said.

However, according to metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo, a court docket from 2018 was struck off the roll as the owner had complied with a metro notice served on him and the case was closed.

No building has occurred on the corner of Saxby Avenue and Ruimte Road, once home to an unknown number of homeless people. Photo: Bennitt Bartl

The city received a complaint about the dilapidated house on 18 January 2018.

“A contravention notice was served on the property four days later and was signed for by Benjamin Mhlodi, an employee of the owner, Poobalan Naidoo,” Mashigo said.

“After the owner did not comply with the notice, the case went to court but was struck off the roll in July 2018, because the owner could not be traced at that stage.

“A new court date was set in September after an alternative address for the owner was found.

“The chief building inspector went to the alternative address at Bastille Boulevard estate in Zwavelpoort to serve the summons.

“The estate security refused the inspector entry as he did not have an appointment even when he explained that it was a summons for the owner to go to court.”

Mashigo said later the metro found the house had been demolished, meaning the owner had complied with the notice.

In terms of the National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act, complying with the notice meant all persons occupying or working or being for any other purpose in such a building had to vacate it and the building had to be altered or demolished so that it would no longer be dilapidated or dangerous.

This was done so the Act was no longer being contravened.

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