THE residents of Ward 33 have thrown their weight and voice behind the formation of the Problem Property Forum following a meeting with Councillor Fran Kristopher at the Berea Bowling Club on Thursday, February 13.

The meeting, which was attended by expert speakers Niki Moore (Ward 33) and Karin Dreyer (Ward 101) as well as members of the Umbilo Community Police Forum (UCPF) and security companies, highlighted the urgent need to deal with “problem properties” in the overcrowded community. “The forum needs to have more teeth and bite,” said Ward 33 resident Tony Da Silva as he voiced his concerns at the meeting. “We cannot hold one meeting now and then another six months later, the forum needs to act.”

Ahead of the next sitting of the forum, which is yet to be confirmed, Kristopher made an appeal to residents with expertise to join the forum. “From legal, security teams, ratepayers, admin, real estate and engineers, we are asking for your expertise to form this forum, to say that we are not just here to complain but demand action. Come and find out from our experts on how you can assist, within the parameters of the law, because you might not know how to deal with it,” said Kristopher.

Also Read: Councillor cracks down on problem properties in Ward 33

She said the aim of the forum is to push the municipality into action by constantly following up on complaints and registering new ones, as the list continues to be populated. “It’s about badgering them until they say, ‘it’s enough now’. We have submitted our first list and we will demand feedback. In the meetings with the city we will ask how far are you with these properties?” said Kristopher.

Currently, Moore and Dreyer are among those spearheading the forum. There are 80 problem properties that have already been flagged in Ward 33 as being problematic – these include overcrowded and rowdy student residences and abandoned properties, as well as illegally occupied buildings.

Moore, who has been fighting the issue of problem properties for over five years, said the illegal building rezoning that is happening in Ward 33 has political motivation. She said, “We are fighting a government that has been instructed to not do their jobs and that is what we are up against.” Moore further said that since 2016 there has been an acceleration and uncontrolled densification of Durban’s residential suburbs with no enforcement of zoning by-laws by the municipality.

“We are seeing family homes of five people now being occupied by 20 to 25 people, this is all being done without compliance or plans and leading to urban decay. There’s damages to infrastructure, strain on electricity and water supply, with noise nuisance that is making our communities difficult to live in as residents. It’s the residential ratepayers who are bearing the brunt of this, not the business or homeowners who are renting out these properties,” added Moore.

She said out of the list of 80 problem properties that have been submitted to the municipality, around 15 have already been checked. “The tide is turning and we really need to start reclaiming our Ward,” said Moore.

For more information on getting involved with the forum, email cllr.frankay@gmail.com. In the subject line add: Problem Property and address/location details. To join the Problem Properties WhatsApp group click on the link https://chat.whatsapp.com/FZPQDzS01wZ0LBsEch91bh. “All reporting is done in the strictest of confidence,” said Kristopher.

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