Building squalor leaves neighbours desperate

DERELICT and abandoned houses are an increasing problem in Durban North and council seems to have little power to deal with it. This is true for residents of Kiaat Place who have fought for more than a year to get the municipality to act over an abandoned house which they say is a safety and health hazard.

Anita de Kock, who shares a boundary wall said she has repeatedly contacted the owner and the various departments involved but to no avail. “This is a serious health issue,” she said. “The water in the pool is a swampy green and there are just mosquito larvae floating on the top of the water. The grass is overgrown and now there are rats and snakes. We’ve even had criminals hiding in the property when they were chased by the police. It’s absolutely shocking,” she said.

Stuart Harris, another neighbour said the deterioration of the property has made it unsafe for his family to be in close proximity.

“We’ve lived here for 12 years and the current state of the house is unacceptable. The electric telegraph pole has started to lean over, I cannot bare thinking about the consequences of this falling over. Unfortunately in the beginning I was fighting this battle on my own and not getting any response, I even contacted the owner who promised many things over the phone but nothing happened.

“The owner has agreed to meet people from the municipality at his property several times and has not made an appearance. He just does not care. Its more than frustrating when we see no progress, this whole situation angers me. It’s been a continuous complaint over a long period of time and permanent action should have taken place,” he said.

Ward councillor, Dean Macpherson said he had also tried to get the municipality to intervene. “The responsible municipal departments are aware of what needs to be done but as yet no action has been taken. No one’s taking responsibility. It’s not fair on the residents who have had to deal with this problem,” he said.

There has been no response from the owner despite repeated attempts.