WARD councillor Mmabatho Tembe is calling for immediate action against unscrupulous landlords who rent out residential properties to desperate people at exorbitant rentals with no basic facilities.
This comes after a situation in Pinewood Gardens, Umbilo, where some 27 individuals are living at the premises with no water or electricity.
Tembe said a resident had contacted her to inform her of the plight of the residents, who had resorted to stealing water from his property.
Speaking to Berea Mail, the resident, who asked not to be named, said he had lived at his property for 16 months and had bought this, his first home, when the neighbouring house was in a good condition.
He said he noticed something was wrong on 18 February, when he was reversing out of his driveway and noticed men with eight 25 litre drums jumping over his property wall.
He had been threatened at knife point when he approached the men, and has since opened a case at Umbilo SAPS.
“I contacted the municipality as the police told me they couldn’t open a case as it was a municipal issue. When I contacted the call centre I was told nothing could be done without a case number! I then started the ball rolling by contacting the councillor, who forwarded emails to various departments and high ranking officials to escalate the matter,” he said.
AHe said emails had gone backwards and forwards over the past almost two months, including emails to the city manager and deputy city manager.
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“The only action we have had is officials from the Water Department visiting the house to remove the water meter as it was spraying water. The inspector spoke to a woman staying at the house who confirmed there was no water, electricity or sanitation on the property. There are women, children and men staying there, between 20 and 27 people at a time, and they have started burning creosote poles on the property. I called the Fire Department out as this is a health and safety risk, but nothing was done to stop it,” he said.
The resident said the theft of his water has not stopped, and his water bill was exorbitant.
He praised Councillor Tembe for her ongoing help.
“It is just unreal that with 10 people involved in the matter via email, nothing is being done. This is not only a huge problem for me and my family, but the fact that these people are living in this house under these conditions is a violation of their human rights,” he said.
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Councillor Tembe said she had initially contacted the municipality’s Water and Revenue Departments due to the water theft and the resident’s increased bill, however as Revenue didnt give refunds for theft, she had encouraged the resident to open a case at Umbilo SAPS, which he had done.
“I have also got Umbilo CPF chair Heather Rorick on board with this case. The issue is the house and the apparent health hazard. I have contacted Environmental Health, however they have not come back to me. So far the Building Inspectorate, Revenue Department, Land Use Management, SAPS and Health have been informed of the matter and now I am following up to see what they can do to help,” she said.
She said iTrump dealt with ‘bad buildings’ in the inner city, however houses like this in the residential areas also needed attention.
“This issue is a difficult one as it is a private property and there are court processes involved which takes time. The municipality needs to do something to help people living in this house and others like it in the suburbs,” she said.
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