DEAR Editor,-
The Border Road property (SCH October 9) has a troubled history with both the present and past owners of the property having no respect or consideration for their neighbours.
I have contacted the daughters by email on numerous occasions about the crime and disturbance emanating from the property and was told that it wasn’t their concern, as they were both unemployed and could not come down and attend to the issues emanating from their property. (They live in Durban, conveniently removed from the problems.)
Garth Garnham, the next-door neighbour, has been in contact with the municipality over a number of years, attempting to get the situation resolved. The property has since been ‘sold’ to a family member for something less than the outstanding rates, on the understanding that it be upgraded. He subsequently started work without having submitted plans and was stopped by the Planning Control Officer.
Our concerns are real and urgent, the property being both a health and crime risk:
1 There is no water;
2 Toilet facilities are non-existent and the many illegal tenants use the surrounding bush and the stream flowing alongside as their toilet. On any hot day, the stench of human faeces is overwhelming. Mr Garnham’s boundary wall is used as a convenient sheltered toilet facility;
3 Numerous arrests have been made at the property in connection with illegal shebeen activities;
4 People in cars from as far afield as Durban both supply and purchase drugs at the property;
5 The most recent serious crime recorded at the property was a rape and assault (GBH);
6 Among others, construction workers residing at the illegal construction camp at Lot 43 Sea Park patronise the shebeen and make use of other ‘facilities’ offered at the property.
It is a disgrace that these situations have been allowed to develop in Sea Park, especially while some residents are using their own resources, both financial and labour, to develop facilities such as The Village Green. Every single person in authority, bar none, who is in any way responsible for allowing this situation to develop and fester should hang their heads in shame!
I am certain that none of our elected officials would tolerate this situation next door to their homes, and it is, sadly, indicative that for those in authority, Sea Park is indeed the forgotten suburb.
For the record, I am constantly raising the subject of the Border Road property at Sector Policing meetings, Community Policing Forum meetings, Business Against Crime meetings, Station Commissioner’s Crime Forum meetings and Farmers’ Security meetings. I am therefore of the opinion that this is more likely the cause of any policing action rather than the occasional mention by the ward councillor.
JOHN IRVEN
Sea Park Residents, Ratepayers and Business Association
