David Feldman, whose property borders Corlett City from where the church operates, said he had reached the limits of his tolerance for the amplified preaching and singing that inundates the surrounding houses for hours at a time, up to four days a week.
“I can’t put up with this. I’m not prepared to. I’ve got to fight back,” he said.
According to Feldman, the church has occupied offices in Corlett City for about four-and-a-half years, and holds services for the best part of each Sunday morning, as well as band practises and other activities on weekdays and Saturday evenings.
Despite numerous meetings with centre management, calls to police and attempts to contact the City of Johannesburg, Feldman has had no success in his quest to quieten the church – and he said he was ready to start fighting fire with fire.
Following an aggressive confrontation between his son and members of the church group, Feldman purchased a siren which he mounted on his wall and activated during Sunday services. When police arrived in response to his disturbance of the peace, Feldman requested that they also address the problem of the church. After a temporary lull, however, the noise resumed, and Feldman is seeking a more permanent solution.
According to Ward 74 councillor Jack Cooper, the proliferation of such churches is a problem throughout the area. After a two-year battle, a court order was recently obtained to close down the illegally operating Winners’ Chapel on Louis Botha Avenue, but residents elsewhere continue to complain as similar organisations spring up around the ward.
“The problem is not that they’re a church, the problem is the noise they make… You’re not allowed to create a nuisance,” said Cooper, adding that late evening and weekend service times and lack of parking facilities added to the effect on residents.
It is clear that a more widespread solution is needed to resolve the issue of noisy worship, but for now, residents can only continue to lodge complaints with police and local council.
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