Residents of Witteberg Close in Helderkruin are at their wit’s end after repeated attempts at hijacking a vacant house in their street.
The house in question, 23 Witteberg Close, was, until last year, in possession of the Roodepoort police, though what it was used for is unclear.
Security officers were guarding the house, but this has been discontinued, whereafter two attempts at illegally taking possession of the house have occurred.
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The first attempt by a person claiming to be a Sangoma, who told neighbours that she purchased the house, nearly succeeded. The person had already bought tiles and employed a neighbour who runs a handyman service to retile the house, before it became apparent that she was trying to hijack the premises.
The latest incident occurred late in March, when neighbours noticed workers cleaning the yard.
Upon questioning the workers, a man who claimed to have purchased the property from the Department of Public Works, told them they were cleaning up in preparation for them taking occupation at the beginning of April.
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According to neighbours, it became clear that this was once again an attempt at a land grab when the man showed up one night and dug up and bypassed the municipal water meter, causing significant damage to the neighbour’s driveway in the process.
Neighbours say the man attempted to bypass the electricity meter as well.
Police were called, but the man made his getaway before they arrived.
The Roodepoort Record spoke to sources at Roodepoort police, who confirmed that the house was indeed ‘handed back’ to the Department of Public Works, which was confirmed unofficially to the Record by a Human Settlements official.
Neighbour Nelie Talbot says that they have managed to contact the Department of Public Works, who confirmed that the house was not for sale or rent.
“That means that people are actively trying to hijack the house,” she says. “And we would not have known had they not dug up half our driveway to bypass the water meter,” she says.
The man insisted to the Record that he had purchased the property from the Department of Public Works, adding that he had a contract to prove it, but declined to provide such proof when asked.
The Record has sent questions to the Department of Public Works regarding the property, but has not received any answers by the time of publication.
