Anxiety over empty houses
Ward councilor says that illegal activity in abandoned houses will not be tolerated.
Abandoned properties are becoming a major headache in some areas east of Pretoria.
Only the bare bones of more than one once-posh property are left after they have been plundered and turned into crime and drug havens.
Two Glenwood Road homes in Lynnwood Glen have, for example, been abandoned for years.
Neighbours said the properties were once “wonderful homes”.
Chairperson of Lynnwood Glen estate, Altus van Heerden said the homes were bought for redevelopment into nine townhouses.
“The development was [initially] opposed in August 2013 then approved in 2014.”
But nothing further had happened, said Van Heerden.
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“The houses have been abandoned since. These houses were looted to the point that almost nothing is left but a shell of what they used to be.”
A resident, who asked not to be named, said garden tools and electrical appliances to the value of between R40 000 and R50 000 had been stripped from the properties.
“Vagrants have looted the house to such an extent that nothing is left. They even took manhole covers.”
Van Heerden said an cleaning-up operation was initiated on 31 January in a bid to rid the homes of illegal activity.
“Thirty-eight people were found living there illegally. Nine were found to have previous convictions against them and were taken to the police.”
He said a drug lord was also found during the operation.
“He was dealing what appeared to be mandrax on the property.”
Several stolen items were also found.
“We found fridges, microwaves, television sets, Wi-Fi routers and jewellery.”
Van Heerden said a the estate had hired a security guard to watch the area.
“We will demand that the owner pay for the security.”
According to Van Heerden the, owner had put the the properties on the market but no sale had not yet been finalised.
“We are happy to report that since the operation no new vagrants were found at the property.”
An employee of the owner, who suddenly arrived at the property, told Rekord the houses would be demolished.
He said the property and that the property had been sold.
Another abandoned home in Menlo Park has neighbours concerned for their safety.
In a letter to the metro, residents coice their worry over illegal water and electricity connections and unauthorised land use.
They wrote that several people were living in the house, begging for money, food and work.
Residents raised health concerns for the occupants as another major issue.
Residents who claimed to have been inside the house said they believes the occupants were most probably “exposed to a very unhealthy environment”.
A previous owner of the home said that she was concerned about its state.
She confirmed her house and her previous neighbour’s were bought about two years ago by a developer who wanted to build a three-storey building.
“This was opposed.”
She said the stove in the house was months later it was found for sale on a nearby street corner.
Ward 82 Councillor, Siobhan Muller said that she had been alerted to the problem houses.
“We will not tolerate any illegal activity and action will be taken where needed.”
She said health inspectors would be arranged to visit the houses.
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The metro had not commented by the time of going to print.
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