Stakeholders to tackle problem buildings

IN its efforts to tackle the issue of problem buildings in the Merebank, Wentworth and Bluff areas, the South Durban Basin Area Based Management (SDB ABM) together with relevant stakeholders have made have established a forum as an effective approach.

Representatives from ward 66 councillor’s office, Brighton Beach police and municipal departments and building inspectors were present at the meeting aimed at formulating the forum which will serve to address problem buildings and create systems to address these buildings and further present it in the Urban Management Forum that sits bi-monthly.

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“The purpose of this particular meeting was to discuss and come up with a way to monitor problem buildings on a bigger scale and in a strategic manner for the SDB area. At the beginning of the year a problem building audit of publicly and privately owned buildings was coordinated by the SDB ABM. A list of buildings was drafted. However, there has not been progress in addressing these buildings due to technicalities. Hence this meeting was coordinated to address the challenges of problem buildings,” said Eurakha Singh, senior manager of the SDB ABM.

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Tracking down building owners to hold them accountable was one of the biggest stumbling blocks highlighted by building inspectors, as in most cases the owner has died and the estate is without an executor making it difficult to act. Another challenge is where the building is illegally occupied such as the house on Hilltop Road which has caused  a furor of concern from the residents who have been dealing with high noise levels, constant drinking and at one point an outbreak of Tuberculosis among the 30 people who have occupied the building.

Nonetheless the determined members who plan to meet again in January 2020, will make efforts to challenge the issues that belong to their department regularly and inspectors will exhaust all available technical options in order for the forum to run successfully.

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