HOUSES which have been abandoned or fallen into disrepair are a source of almost constant worry in Hillary.
“Our properties are losing value,” said Pinkie Nkomonde whose property shares a boundary with one of the properties.
“We are having quite a number of challenges,” sad Nkomonde who lost all four wheels of her car overnight recently.
”My camera was swung towards the wall to hide the assailant from being seen whilst we were asleep,” she said adding that she had had to set up lighting and cameras due to the street lights in Bankhead Road almost always being broken.
Vacated
Nkomonde said the house next door to her was vacated in September by the last tenants and since then has been a haven for people who to live there illegally. “We don’t know much about those that are staying there illegally because we can only see them leaving,” said Nkomonde.
“Women have been mugged around this house in the morning hours whilst going to work. Our older sons have to play security now when these women cry for help,” she added.
Responding to the statement from the city spokesperson about residents needing to take the matter of abandoned buildings up with the owners Nkomonde said she feels powerless to do anything about the problem.
“If the powers that be cannot do anything, it will be hard for most of us to do anything either,” she said.
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“We have a challenge with covid 19, and other life issues that we have to contend with. It is not an easy situation,” she said sadly.
City response
Asked about the numerous abandoned properties in the Hillary area, the city responded with a statement from municipality’s spokesperson Msawakhe Mayisela.
“The city receives complaints and is aware of numerous cases of abandoned and derelict houses and buildings across the city,” said Mayisela.
“The issue of run down and abandoned buildings is a city-wide problem. However, in most cases we have found that these buildings are privately owned. In such cases the onus lies with the property owner to protect their private property or surrender it to Council should they find it difficult to maintain and/or protect.”
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According to Mayisela, the municipality does not have any legal power to act in the absence of an official letter from the property owner endorsed by a court asking the city to intervene.
“In order to combat the scourge, the municipality does make every attempt to track down the property owner whether they are in the country or not. Some owners abandon their buildings and emigrate. We also have cases of deceased estates which take much longer to resolve,” said Mayisela.
Complaints
Mayisela said the most common complaints they received relate to dirty conditions, overgrown yards, rodents, buildings in a state of disrepair, theft of water and electricity. What’s more there are often offensive smells due to urine and human waste deposited at the property. More worrying is an escalation in crime in the vicinity of the abandoned house.
“People abandon their homes for various reasons including deceased estate, loss of income, bank repossessions, buildings hijacked, owner emigrated, building becoming derelict and owner unable to maintain, owner unable to afford rates and services, family disputes or financial problems,” said Mayisela.
He explained that the municipality regularly appeals to property owners to ensure their properties are well maintained.
“Derelict buildings impact negatively on the surrounding neighbourhood,” he explained.
“Targeting problem buildings in the city is an ongoing city-wide programme and it is not an exercise that can be resolved and/or addressed overnight,” said the spokesperson.
“Problem buildings are identified throughout the City by Safer Cities and iTrump (Inner City Thekwini Regeneration and Urban Management Programme), through the better buildings programme which addressed issues of crime, bylaw enforcement and derelict buildings.”
“Residents can also report any illegal activity to the South African Police Service and Metro Police,” said Mayisela.
The 24-hour call centre number that they can contact is 031 361 0000 (Emergency Services, Metro Police, Fire and Disaster Management). Illegal dumping can also be reported to the number 031 311 8804/36.
The number to report criminal activities is the South Africa Police Service (SAPS) number 10111.
Caxton Local Media Covid-19 reporting
