City investigates alleged forged permit in Parkview demolition case
A believed fraudulent PHRA-G permit is suspected in the illegal demolition of a 112-year-old Parkview home, prompting the city to tighten enforcement.
The City of Johannesburg is investigating a heritage permit, believed to be fraudulent, that was submitted to council to gain approval for additions to a heritage home on Westcliff Drive.
The structure was subsequently demolished without permission, with the owner claiming that the walls collapsed due to a weak support structure. The demolition has caused an outcry from residents in the area and surrounding suburbs, intensifying concerns about rising heritage violations in the suburb.
Read more: Parkview residents outraged as 112-year-old heritage home is illegally demolished
According to Eric Raboshakga, executive director for development planning, the city has formally asked the Provincial Heritage Resources Authority-Gauteng (PHRA-G) for written confirmation that the approval, submitted by the property owner, was forged. Once confirmed, the city will withdraw all permissions that were granted on the basis of the falsified document.
Raboshakga clarified that a R4 000 fine, which was issued earlier, was not a penalty for demolishing the heritage structure, but an administrative fee for deviations from approved plans. A second fine has already been issued for the illegal demolition, and further legal action is being pursued with group legal and contracts.
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He added that the property will continue to incur penalty rates, calculated at twelve times the normal rate, until the building is restored or brought into full compliance. Stronger fines, and possible criminal charges, fall under PHRA-G’s authority, and the city says it will continue pressing the body to act swiftly.
Raboshakga said the city intends to strengthen verification processes with PHRA-G to prevent falsified approvals in future.
For Parkview residents, the update has brought renewed frustration, but also hope that the fraudulent approval will finally prompt decisive action from both the city and PHRA-G.
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