Empty properties frustrates Pretoria West residents
This property on the corner of Sinovich and Herman Streets in Daspoort is driving residents up the wall.
WEB-PRM (use pictures with Afrikaans story in newspaper folder).
A resident of the west of Pretoria has taken it upon herself to clean up an unoccupied property every month.
The property, on the corner of Sinovich and Herman streets in Daspoort, is driving residents up the wall, said Hester Alberts.
Alberts lives next to the empty property.
“The property not only attracts crime but has become a place where illegal dumping takes place.”
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Alberts decided to take matters into her own hands.
“The sector police helps me to clean.”
Another resident Monique Visser said the property was abandoned years ago after it was damaged by a fire caused when a candle was knocked over.
“Since then criminals started stripping the house until there was almost nothing left,” said Visser.
“After that everything just went downhill, because before we knew it, people started dumping rubbish there illegally.”
Alberts said there were also people sleeping on the property regularly.
“They also use it as a public toilet,” she said.
“If you talk to them about it they say you are not the owner and chase you away.”
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She alleges that criminals from the property have also tried to break into her house on several occasions.
“Just last month I caught someone on my property who was trying to steal a window. They just climb over the wall and hurt my dog.”
She said the sector police were helping her keep an eye on the property and drives past to check if everything is all right at lease once a night.
Local councillor Elma Nel said she had undertaken many campaigns to raise awareness about responsible property ownership.
“People should make their property safe and make sure criminals and illegal occupants cannot enter it.”
Nel said all the metro could do was to try to trace the owner.
“Empty properties are a problem in my ward,” she said.
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