“Jungle yard” is a civil matter says GMM
One such a “jungle house” in Secunda has neighbours pulling out their hair.
SECUNDA – When the grass stretches to a house’s roof and one can not even remotely see if there is any remains of a driveway, it is bound to drive any neighbour up the wall.
One such a “jungle house” in Secunda has neighbours pulling out their hair.
“Rodents and snakes from there often end up in my yard,” said a neighbour.
Thankfully he has high strung dogs that takes out any such invaders into their territory.
But, said the neighbour, “this is unacceptable.
This has been going on for years, and it affects all of us in the neighbourhood.”
Ridge Times tried to enter the premises about a month ago, but the gate was locked and the yard was inaccessible.
The house borders on a green strip and with a short walk and a bit of effort trudging through mud and veld, one can get to the back of the house where fallen thatch from a lapa pushed out a part of the concrete fence.
A dog in a dirty pen could be seen through a crack in the wall.
It appeared as if the back yard was less overgrown The head of a young man eventually popped up from behind the concrete fencing during our visit.
He wanted to know what the newspaper wanted.
The young man then explained the house belongs to multiple owners from eMbalenhle and even Pretoria. He said the family decided to clean the yard that specific weekend.
Alas, a month and several extremely rainy days later, the place looks even worse.
Readers have been asking what are the rights of other property owners in a neighbourhood where one house in such unkept state and if the municipal by-laws can be enforced in such cases.
Mr Donald Green, acting head of communications at Govan Mbeki Municipality, referred to the answer given by Mr Dennis Masuku, manager: Bio Diversity and Open Spaces at Govan Mbeki Municipality, when he was asked a similar question at a meeting in Evander.
In short, he responded by saying in such incidents, residents must approach the courts as the municipality is not authorised to enter into people’s yards and cut trees. This is a civil matter.
