A property with lengthy grass on Rigg Street is compromising the safety of the residents of Ravenswood.
According to a resident of the area who asked to remain anonymous, the property has been in a terrible condition for a number of years.
“The property is jeopardising our safety as people who own properties next to it. It was better when it was still closed because it had a Vibracrete wall that kept the vagrants and thieves from accessing it. Unfortunately a part of the wall was bumped down by a car.
“And after the incident, the owner of the property decided to remove the whole Vibracrete wall and I think that was a wrong decision from his side, because he gave the vagrants and thieves access to the property and they are now living in it.
“I can’t go out of my premises at night because of this property that is not taken care of. The metro must do something about it,” said the resident.
The spokesperson of the City of Ekurhuleni, Zweli Dlamini, said a city official inspected the property on August 29, 2022.
“We indeed found that the property has overgrown grass and weeds, including building rubble as result of recent demolishing of residential buildings around the area.
“There wasn’t any sign of homeless persons on the premises during the inspection. However, a compliance notice will be sent to the property owner in terms of Environmental Health Legislation, to cut the long grass and weeds and remove the building rubble.
“A follow-up inspection will be carried out after a compliance notice is issued. If the owner doesn’t comply with the notice, the matter will be referred to Corporate and Legal Department for prosecution,” said Dlamini.
He added that it’s understood that the residents in the area are concerned about security risks caused by the property, especially the high wall on one side which makes any activity on the property difficult to monitor.
Dlamini also advised the residents of the area to report any illegal activities happening on the property to SAPS or EMPD.
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