Residents tackle abandoned house
FSRA and community join hands to clean up the neighbourhood.
Florida residents, fed up with the unkept sidewalk of the notorious abandoned house at 110 Shamrock Street, put their heads together on May 17 to conduct a much-needed clean-up – all while the illegal occupiers that live in the ruins looked on, quite amused at the fuss.
According to Florida South Residents Association (FSRA) chairperson Rodney Churchyard, the house, situated at the corner of Shamrock and West Street, was abandoned by the owners years ago.
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“The owner has since passed away, but a former worker, who does not live here, now claims the owner had given him the house,” he says.
Churchyard says the house has been a thorn in the side of residents, police, and security companies for a long time.
“You can’t call it a house anymore,” he says. “It has no roof. Only a few walls remain standing, and it is frequently occupied by drug users or used as a hiding spot for criminals on the run.”
He adds that whenever a break-in or robbery occurs in the area, this house is one of the spots where criminals hide until they can make their escape.
“The so-called owner of the house does not do anything to address the problems, and while we cannot do anything inside the yard, we can at least try and make it look a little better from the outside.”
The Roodepoort Record spoke to some of the residents, who made it clear they would not lift a finger to help. One resident, who was visibly intoxicated, dared to try and beg some money off the assembled group, no doubt looking to score her next fix.
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FSRA members, residents, and KCCC Foundation volunteers descended on the property early morning armed with pangas, shovels, rakes, and even some power tools, picking up rubbish and hacking at overgrown grass and bushes.
Ward 70 councillor Caleb Finn was on hand to support the initiative, and passersby generously delivered snacks and cold drinks for the group.
“I think people are starting to realise that if we want to see change in our neighbourhoods, we will have to bring it about ourselves,” Churchyard concludes.
