An unoccupied property is more likely to be a target of malicious damage, squatters, trespassers and also an infestation of rodents, also causing distress to neighbours.
Over the past few weeks, the Laudium Sun has been receiving calls from irate residents, regarding a dilapidated house on 9th Avenue, that has overgrown dagga trees.
Emaa Mohamed who lives next to the dilapidated house, told the Laudium Sun, “We are really fed up now. This house has too many dagga plants in the yard. At night we cannot even sleep because the nyaope guys are smoking dagga and sleeping all over, inside the house and in the yard. There are also two smashed cars standing in the yard. A few days ago, I took a walk into this yard and I saw that the cars were stripped. I then walked to the back of the yard and I saw two structures with a whole lot of bush. The bush is so high, it’s even taller than the roof of the house. It is very dangerous to be living next to a place that is in such terrible condition, since our safety and security are at risk. I’m a new tenant here, and as soon as I moved in, I contacted and complained to the police regarding the condition of the house next door to me, but to no avail. They have not responded to me once, nor have I seen them visit the property to do an inspection. I then resorted to contacting the Council regarding this issue, and they too did not really help. My last and final resort was to make contact with the Laudium Sun, hoping that my complaints are taken into consideration. I am doing this not only for myself, but due to the high crime rate in Laudium, I am doing it so that people are aware that criminals are hiding here. This yard is really disgusting, I’m even getting fumes of decomposed animals.”
Daya Naidoo, of 11th Ave, who lives behind the said house, told the Laudium Sun “We can’t even sleep at night because of the amount of noise that comes from this house. This house is directly behind my house. I think you as the reporters from the Laudium Sun should actually go there and see for yourself what’s going on. Just a few weeks ago I found some young children from the community at the back of that yard, smoking dagga. This yard is a popular shelter for nyaopes. We don’t even know who the owner of this house is. If I stand in my back yard, I can’t even look over or take a picture to actually show what is transpiring there, because the bush is so high. When I walked into that yard, I was disgusted by the amount of filth there and even by the vile smell. I contacted Cllr Naeem Patel who told me that the community needs to do something about this situation because he is also fed up.”
The Laudium Sun reported the matter of the dagga plants to an official at police head office and was assured that the matter would be attended to. Soon thereafter the Laudium Sun spotted police at the yard with two of the alleged nyaopes cutting down the dagga trees.
Cllr Patel told the Laudium Sun that although he had reported the unhealthy state of the property to the relevant Departments in Council, no action had been taken against the owner.
