HENLEY-ON-KLIP. – Residents of Henley-on-Klip say that a derelict double story house at Eynsham Road 898 has become haven for criminals and has led to an escalation in crime in the area.

According to Coleen Brits, who lives on one of the adjacent properties, the construction of the house commenced years ago but was never completed.

The unfinished building has since fell into a state of disrepair.

According to Brits, occupants who have moved into the abandoned building are terrorising the surrounding community.

Brits says the inhabitants of the house in Eynsham Road can see into all of the yards of the surrounding properties when standing on the second floor of the abandoned building.

She says the unwelcome inhabitants have cut her electric fencing, broken into their house numerous times and regularly steal their chickens and eggs to eat.

“They come and go as they please. It is frightening that someone else has carte blanche to your property 24/7,” says Brits.

“We are fed up with the crime. It has been going on for years. We can’t carry on like this.”

“We have been to the Community Policing Forum (CPF), the police, the Democratic Alliance, the Midvaal Local Municipality. Nobody seems to do anything.”

Troy Peterson, also a neighbour, says he has also had his fair share of run-ins with the unwelcome neighbours.

“We’ve had small things disappear from our property and the alarm regularly goes off, but I don’t think they have that kind of balls to break in here,” he said.

“I am originally from Durban and there we don’t tolerate this kind of thing,” he says.

Lynda Parsonson, councillor for Ward 15 of the Midvaal Local Municipality says that crime is a matter that the police needs to address. Marcel Esterhuysen, Chairman of the CPF in Henley-on-Klip, agrees that the police have a responsibility to protect the community, keep them safe and fight crime in the area.

“The area needs to be regularly patrolled, but unfortunately the police are also facing a multitude of problems that affect their ability to effectively patrol the area, such as a shortage of vehicles and broken-down cars.”

Vaalweekblad contacted the Meyerton police, but has up to date not yet received a respinse.

According to Cllr. Mokete Motsamai, MMC for Development and Planning, inspectors were sent to the property and a background check was done last week.

“It seems that we have received numerous complaints about the property and that Midvaal Local Municipality has issued several notices.”

“The owner of the property has not complied.We have begun a litigation process. This could eventually lead to the demolishing of the property, obviously we would not like for it it to go that far as building plans have already been submitted,” said Motsamai.

It would also appear that the owner of the property is in arrears on the municipal account.