Springs resident wants neighbours to demolish illegally built rooms.
Springs resident says the municipality has not taken further steps in regards to her neighbour illegally building outside rooms inside her yard.
Sibhati Zwane a resident of Geduld claims her neighbour illegally built outside rooms inside her yard.
Zwane says she bought the house she’s currently living in after renting the house for three months late last year.
After signing the sale of agreement for the house in March she became aware that the outside rooms did not belong to her but to her neighbour.
“I wasn’t aware because initially I thought they were part of my yard, only to find out they were the neighbour’s rooms.”
Zwane says before she went to the municipality, she notified her neighbour concerning the matter.
They were aware that they had built the rooms on her yard.
“I then contacted the municipality to tell them the house was not aligned correctly and I was told I needed to get a building inspector who would handle the matter.”
Zwane says the building inspector came to view the house and confirmed the rooms were indeed illegal.
The building inspector told Zwane the matter would be taken to the municipality in order for the neighbour to demolish the rooms.
“The municipality gave them a 60-day notice period in June so they could demolish the buildings outside. However nothing has been done till now.”
On August 28, three days before the notice period ended, Zwane says she contacted the building inspector to follow up on the demolishing of the rooms.
“When I called him he said the matter had been escalated to the legal department and my neighbour was given four months to demolish the rooms.”
“I was not aware of the extension as no one had told me about it.”
“I went to the legal department at the EGSC Building in Germiston where I was told they hadn’t received anything from the building inspector.”
Zwane says she is saddened at how the building inspector and the municipality are handling her matter as she feels it could have been resolved by now.
“It’s not fair that I have no access to my yard whilst my neighbour has taken over my yard.”
She claims her neighbour has not only built rooms in her yard but they have rented out the main outside rooms.
“These rooms belong to me but the tenants pay the rent to my neighbour.”
Ace Phiri from the housing department says he wasn’t at the meeting that was conducted with the parties to finalise the matter.
“At the moment I can’t say where the verdict of the matter is currently sitting at. It is alleged that the problem lies with the agent who sold the house to the parties,” says Phiri.
The metro failed to offer comment at the time of going to print.
