City called to act against Trojan Horse properties

TWO abandoned properties on Peter Mokaba Road left to fester and rot are the cause of major concern for a nearby resident who has failed in trying to get the city to have the properties cleared.

The woman, who asked not to be named, said the properties were overgrown with weeds and refuse had been dumped in the front of the property.

“Rats are breeding there and have now come into my home and garden. There is also a fly and mosquito problem. We cannot spend any time in our back garden without been attacked by mosquitoes and flies. On Saturday 2 January we had an attempted break in and the offenders came through the one property and broke two panels out of our fence to gain entry,” she said.

She said she was aware that there was no electricity on the one property, despite the fact it looked like someone was living there.

“The property is also used as a toilet. In 2014 I reported the problem to City Health and the owners were given notice to clear which they did in about August 2014. There has been no attempt to clear the property since then. I did contact City Health on Friday 8 January regarding the complaint and a woman said she would pass the complaint onto the Health Inspector. It took many months in 2014 to get a Health Inspector to view the property and act,” she said.

The resident said the other property was also a problem as vagrants were entering the grounds and gaining access to her neighbour's property.

“It also appears that people are living there without water or lights,” she said.

In response to her queries, ward councillor Jethro Lefevre said when the properties were first brought to his attention he immediately alerted Development Management and the local building inspectors.

“They have served notices to the best of my knowledge as has the Health Department. When the resident alerted me to the continued deterioration of these buildings recently I requested that both departments and Metro Police get involved. Clearly nothing has been done and the wheels of bureaucracy have been turning slowly,” he said.

Cheryl Johnson from Save Our Berea, said she was made aware of the situation.

“Clearly they are what we call ‘Trojan Horses’. It appears that the owners have deliberately allowed them to deteriorate to the point of no return, and it also appears the city has not done enough to hold the owners accountable. The issue is now critical. Neglected and abandoned buildings pose a serious health and security risk to the community. Firstly we want to know why the Health Department has not intervened effectively. We want to know if the owners have been charged for creating a health hazard and if Metro Police have raided the properties,” she said.

In reply, Tozi Mthethwa from eThekwini Municipality said Metro Police and other relevant municipal units would take the necessary action to address the issues raised.