Abandoned house causes headache for school
NEWLANDS – An empty plot in Newlands is causing problems for a school close to it as it attracts vagrants and crime.
Residents in Newlands are up in arms over an abandoned house that attracts vagrants and criminal activities.
Christelle Greyling, Principal of Rainbow World Pre-primary School said that they were at their wits’ end with the problem of the house across the road from the school.
“This problem existed before I became a principal at the school and we have been sent from pillar to post for a long time,” Greyling said.
She explained that they have reported this property several times to the Department of Health, the inspectors and to their Ward Councillor, but continue to have the same problem,” she added.
She pointed out that despite their efforts to call the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD), the vagrants returned within 30 minutes of being chased away by the JMPD.
Greyling said that the property is owned by a foreign national who has been impossible to trace and before this property was bought it was a cafe in the ’70s.
“After some time, the community then took the matter into their own hands and broke down the property at their own cost. Afterwards it was such an eye-sore, that one of our parents helped to remove some of the building rubble,” she further explained.
Greyling noted that her biggest concerns were the trolley reyclists who sort their products on the property and said that whatever was left over, stayed behind. “This poses a health risk to our children and the community. People have been dumping their waste during the Pikitup strike on the property and this has attracted stray dogs, mice and rats. The open area attracts unwanted loiterers, they are sitting on the property drinking all day, right opposite our exit gate,” she explained.
“We feel unsafe and we are very concerned about the health and safety of our 160 children. We are losing children as parents feel it is unsafe to send their children here and thus [it becomes] a financial burden for us as we are a non-profit organisation,” she concluded.
Ward 86 Councillor Steve Kotzé said that he had tried several times to assist with the issue but that the City of Joburg was dragging its feet.
This plot looks messy, it is an eye-sore, an attraction for crime and devalues the other properties in the street. Because there are vagrants there during the day, this poses a serious risk to the children who attend the school,” he said.
Kotzé said that even he did not know how much rates and taxes were owed by the property and has suggested that the City auction off the property in order to recoup some of the money owed and someone can build a house there as the area was a very nice area.
Questions have been sent to the City and comment is awaited.
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