Property owners still picking up pieces after protest
The demolished property has become a shelter for squatters during the night as well a site for more rubble to be dumped.
In January the #KrugersdorpWarAgainstDrugs protest shut down the CBD and other parts of town completely. Shots were fired, roads were closed and properties were burned to the ground.
Read here: #KrugersdorpWarOnDrugs: Avoid these areas
It’s almost six months later and property owners and estate agencies are still struggling to pick up the pieces. One of the cases is that of an estate agency that has suffered the consequences since Day 1.
Rent a Roof West is the managing agent for the Killarney Court Body Corporate in Luipaard Street. Even though the building itself wasn’t harmed during the protest, the property behind Killarney Court on the corner of Sivewright and Pritchard Streets is of great concern.
“Upon inspection earlier this year we found that the building had been demolished. It was burned to the ground with rubble everywhere,” Karla Vermaak from Rent a Roof West said.
“We contacted the municipality and they told us it’s the owner’s responsibility to clean up the property. They told us they’d provide answers within a few weeks. When we phoned them back, they told us that they didn’t have any feedback for us.”
Karla went on to say that it has become a shelter for squatters during the night, as well a site for more rubble to be dumped.
“We are losing potential tenants because of the issue. And we can’t do anything about it since it’s illegal for us to ‘touch’ anything on the property. It doesn’t seem as if the municipality is doing anything from their side. Every door is just a closed door,” Jenny-Lee Sonnekus, the estate agency principal said.
At the end of the day, all affected properties have suffered a huge setback and it’s the owners and estate agencies that suffered the most damage, said DA ward councillor, Dr Christo Kotzé.
Other ward councillors whose areas has been affected include Lynn Zwankhuizen and Trudie Naudé.
“The councillors aren’t given any answers – they’re left in the dark and so is the community. Our plea is that the municipality would prioritise the situation. It simply can’t carry on like this,” ward councillor and leader of the DA Mogale Caucus, Jacques Hoon concluded.
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