Resident’s frustration against Berario building project continues

Residents were not content with the answers and possible solutions they were given regarding the building project.

After weeks of questioning, concerns being raised and accusations being made, residents of Berario got to speak to City officials and councillors on the matter. A meeting was hosted on 3 December to address the issue of a 48 room student residence that has caused quite the stir, as reported in Northcliff Melville Times in the article Underground building fight, Week ending 30 November.

Residents were addressed by Deputy Chief Whip of Council and Chair of the Development Planning Committee Graham de Kock and their ward councillor David Hensman. Ward committee member Nicolene Jonker and highly concerned resident Lee Crossingham led the meeting.

Residents went back and forth with de Kock and Hensman regarding how they were not consulted prior to the project being approved. They were told their consultation on the matter was not a necessary requirement for the project to be passed. Residents yet again accused Hensman of not doing anything to remedy the situation. De Kock reminded the crowd that Hensman as a ward councillor has very limited powers and he has exhausted every one of them at this stage.

Residents then chose to question how exactly the project was passed by the City’s entities. In order for a project like this to approved, various stakeholders need to state that the building can be absorbed into the cities current service delivery infrastructure. They asked how City Power, Johannesburg Water, Emergency Services, the roads agency and others signed off on this. De Kock and Hensman admitted that they could have been irregularities in the process but assured residents they are investigating the matter and have prioritised it.

After a while, one could sense that residents were getting angered at the fact that they were not being given any information that they could use to halt the project, at least in the interim. Prior to the meeting, they had asked residents to send their objections to the matter, to which many did. Even during the meeting, people were filling out objections but this was met with bad news. They were told that a court order to suspend the project would be the best way to stop the matter. Residents immediately began to discuss their way forward and it seems they will collectively start a fund to finance a legal challenge of this building project. They will still use other tactics offered to them to try and stop the building that seems to have picked up speed in the last few weeks.

This is a developing story and updates will be made as they become available.

Check our website for the latest update on the matter, www.northcliffmelvilletimes.co.za