Nearly a decade-long fight against illegal communes

In the past decade, illegal communes have started to become commonplace in Westdene, Brixton, Sophiatown and surrounds.

Residents have often tried to report communes that have been built illegally, but almost 10 years later, more and more of these infrastructures have cleared old homes to make way for this type of accommodation.

The result of this has been a major pressure on the underlying infrastructure with power outages, water-pipe bursts and sewage spills – often into Westdene Dam – a common sight.

Although students mostly make use of communes, both the City of Johannesburg and the local Westdene-Sophiatown Residents Association knows that communes welcome all types of tenants.

A simple Internet search shows that currently there is a large number of individual rooms to let in these areas at a monthly cost of around R3 000.

The association’s chairperson and long-time resident, Dauw Steyn, spoke to Northcliff Melville Times about their current efforts to deal with illegal communes. Steyn is also the Ward 86 committee member for public safety and chairperson of the Sophiatown Neighbourhood Watch.

“We have reached a point where we no longer accept any new commune applications,” he said.

This, he said, because the underlying infrastructure can no longer support it.

Steyn is aware of 98 approved and 132 unapproved communes in Westdene and 14 approved in Sophiatown.

This is according to a list sent to the association from the City of Johannesburg. It includes confirmed illegal communes, communes that the City claims they have visited and properties like the infamous 10a-2nd Avenue are listed as ‘no town planning contravention’.

“We have a lot of illegal buildings going up that have no approval. When we report it to the council, they apply for consent use.”

Steyn has been fighting specifically with the City’s town planning and urban development departments to enforce the by-laws already in place, but no, or at most little, avail.

“All they need to do is enforce the by-laws. They need to check on these properties and they don’t. We constantly have to contact them and follow up until you get blue in the face, otherwise nothing ever gets done,” he said.

Steyn fears there is corruption at play and he has taken documents to the Group Forensic and Investigation Services (GFIS). Just two weeks ago, the City suspended a building control officer for misconduct, pending an investigation into a list of allegations against the official.

These allegations include irregularities in the issuing of notices to developers, resulting in developments taking place without approved plans, creating a law-enforcement burden for the City, and loss of revenue.

Another allegation is that the official failed to implement a geoscience report, which pre-empted possible collapsing of houses in both Lenasia and Protea.

Various policies and projects are currently in place that could possibly affect the situation in Westdene and surrounds.

The draft inclusionary housing policy is currently out for public comment. The draft policy proposes that every new development of 10 dwelling units or more, must be 20 per cent inclusionary, or affordable, housing.

ALSO READ: Report illegal communes