Not many people would clean up their neighbour’s yard for them.
However, this was exactly what a group of desperate residents from the west of Pretoria did this week when they cleaned up an abandoned “problem” house in the area.
The Daspoort house was left empty after it was destroyed in a fire several years ago, and was now a “magnet for criminals” while others used it as an illegal dumping site.
Thus, neighbours decided to take matters into their own hands this Tuesday.
“This place have been driving us up the walls,” said resident Hester Alberts.
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“We simply could not take it anymore.”
Alberts, with the help of the local sector police, entered the property on the corner of Sinovich and Herman streets on the day.
They cut down overgrown trees on the property and also tried picking up some of the garbage.
Alberts, who lives right next to the property, told Rekord that the property have been an eyesore for the past six years.
She said the property was left empty years ago after it was damaged in a fire when a candle got knocked over.
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“Since then, criminals have been stripping the house down – until there was almost nothing left,” she said.
Alberts said she was currently in contact with civil organisations to help her clean up the property regularly.
“We are despondent and cannot sit around and wait for the help of others – it is time that we take action,” she said.
Another neighbour, Monique Visser, said there were some vagrants living on the property, using it as a public bathroom.
Anything from building rubble and animal carcasses were dumped at the house.
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“The smell is just unbearable and we cannot take it anymore,” she said.
Visser said she was afraid for the safety of her family.
“We would like for the metro to clean up the property and then bill the owner,” said DA ward councillor, Elma Nel.
“I have already contacted them in this regard.”
Nel said she has held many awareness campaigns over responsible homeownership.
The owner of the property could not be reached for comment at the time of going to print.
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