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Aggrieved Austerville residents want alleged ‘drug dealing’ tenant out

According to the residents, the occupant of the three-bedroom flat, a 23-year-old man, lives alone in the apartment managed by the Department of Human Settlements. 

A COLLECTIVE voice of disapproval and concern has been echoed by the women and older vulnerable residents of a flat in Austerville who have taken matters into their own hands after months of possible exposure to Covid-19 from a neighbour who has dozens of visitors.

At the heart of the matter, the residents claim that the said visitors enter the block throughout the day and well into the early hours of the morning and do not observe any of the state’s prescribed prevention measures.

According to the residents, the occupant of the three-bedroom flat, a 23-year-old man, lives alone in the apartment managed by the Department of Human Settlements.

“He moved into the flat about four years ago. The registered tenant of the flat, Richard Norris, has lived in Johannesburg for the past six years and has been made aware of the challenges that his tenant has created for the neighbours, but has elected not to take decisive action,” the residents said.

They said that after initially committing to deal with the issue, Norris abdicated his responsibility and instead delegated dealing with the issue to his cousins who live outside the area.

“When angry residents of the flat confronted the cousins about the constant human traffic in and out of the block – often visitors staying for short periods of about 3 minutes – without personal protection and the risk of Covid-19 to the elderly in the block, they both laughed out loud and explained that they were in possession of alternative scientific evidence which led them to believe that this provides no great risk of the virus to the elderly neighbours in the block,” they said.

They have countless stories of the horror of the man’s visitors who show up to the block with no protection or masks, with some sitting on the staircases at leisure, climbing over the balcony, and of knife-wielding episodes with constant threats of physical and sexual violence.

In desperation, they said, and in response to consistent threats from the tenant, five occupants in the block have now secured harassment orders against him that the SUN has seen.

“The elderly resorted to buying and installing a gate at the entrance to the block to limit traffic and prevent the remnants of used condoms and drug paraphernalia that are often found on the steps of the flats over the weekends.”

“This preventive action has had limited effect as he simply opened the gate for his visitors during level 4 curfews. Those who do not have immediate access to him because of the gate now call out for him from outside and he throws the gate keys out of his window for them to enter the block.”

“Residents report not sleeping for weekends on end as his visitors show up at all times of the night – calling out for him from outside throughout the night,” they said.

Approached for comment Norris confirmed that the flat was indeed leased to him and that the tenant is his nephew. He also confirmed to be living in Johannesburg because of work, but refuted claims that he had vacated his apartment for six years, but rather four and declined to comment further as he said he would consult his lawyer.

The station commander of Wentworth police, colonel Colonel Willem van Zyl, said he had a meeting with the aggrieved residents on Monday, 15 June, in the presence of the ward councillor and CPF chairperson.

Various strategies on how to prevent crime were discussed in the meeting which ended in good spirits.

The police will monitor and patrol that area in order to curb crime and also look at the safety of the elderly residents.

 

 

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