FRUSTRATED, fed-up and angry residents surrounded Durban North ward councillor Shaun Ryley last Wednesday to voice their frustrations about an abandoned property on Adelaide Thambo Drive (Kensington). The prime piece of land has been abandoned for more than six years and is now home to vagrants who defecate and engage in sexual activities openly. There is now a pungent stench permeating through the property.

Worse still it has also become a dumping ground with bins bags being emptied out on the property as the vagrants sort through useful items. Some have even used the open space to light fires at night to keep warm, posing a safety risk to other residents bordering the property.

‘Concerned about my safety’

David Williams, who shared a boundary fence with the vacant property, said he has lived in Durban North for 35 years and it was once ‘beautifully maintained’.

“The story goes that the owner rented it out to a family who then stopped paying rent and claimed squatters rights. In an effort to remove them he knocked the house to the ground, however since then, its laid in its current state and is now home to vagrants who use it a their toilet, sleeping quarters and dumping ground.

“I’m concerned about my wife’s safety, we’ve had to put up barbed wire as an extra precaution but part of the fence has been damaged. Besides the devaluing of property, crime is a major concern,” he said.

Open fire causes damage to property

Another resident, Maggie Farrell, said her home had been damaged after a fire lit by vagrants scorched part of her wall and damaged a CCTV camera.

“Who do I claim damage from? The response from the municipality has been appalling. We pay exorbitant rates for a sub-standard service. I often phone the police to remove the vagrants but they are back within hours. It’s absolutely disgusting,” Farrell said.

“Whenever I have guest, the smell of faeces wafts through the living room and its extremely embarrassing and unhealthy.”

Vagrants ‘zonked’ out

Angela Lourens said she has also noticed an increase in snakes and large rats moving through the property.

“The rats are huge and I’ve lived next door to this property for years and I’d never seen a rat, not until it was left vacant. I’ve often shouted at the vagrants to clear out but they are so zonked out, they hardly take notice. I feel extremely vulnerable.

“They also sing and shout late at night which is an absolute nightmare for us,” Lourens said.

Impose sanctions on derelict property home owners

Durban North ward councillor Shaun Ryley said he has received no less than five complaints about the property since he has occupied office. He added with September being known as the windiest month of the year, the risk of the fires spreading was enormous.

“There is enough dry foliage around the property’s outer walls which could provide the perfect agent to spread fires. As much as the municipality should be taken to task, the onus has to fall on the owner who has done nothing about the property which is a state of disrepair.

Ryley added the DA has recently brought forward a notice of motion regarding this exact issue.

“The motion dealt with derelict and abandoned properties despoiling neighbourhoods, and undermining the rates base because their presence diminishes the market value of surrounding properties. We proposed imposing sanctions on home owners in order for them to maintain their property.

“These are legitimate concerns being raised by the residents their safety is paramount. I will keep working with the relevant city departments to see what can be done with this property,” Ryley said.